Possible determinants of physical fitness in Japanese school children: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Physical fitness is one of the most important health indicators in children. Although appropriate body composition or certain lifestyle factors such as frequent physical activity are thought to improve physical fitness, results of previous studies are inconsistent, and most studies were from Western countries.

Objectives: We investigated associations of body composition and modifiable lifestyle factors such as physical activity, screen time, diet and sleep duration with physical fitness in Japanese primary school children.

Draft Genome Sequence of Campylobacter jejuni ST-508 Strain Shizu21005, Isolated from an Asymptomatic Food Handler in Japan, 2021.

Here, we report a draft genome sequence of Campylobacter jejuni strain Shizu21005, isolated from a food handler with no symptoms in Japan on March 2021. Its genome size was 1,656,785 bp, with 2 rRNAs, 35 tRNAs, and a coverage of 330×.

Characterization of a TNFR2-Selective Agonistic TNF-α Mutant and Its Derivatives as an Optimal Regulatory T Cell Expander.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subpopulation of lymphocytes that play a role in suppressing and regulating immune responses. Recently, it was suggested that controlling the functions and activities of Tregs might be applicable to the treatment of human diseases such as autoimmune diseases, organ transplant rejection, and graft-versus-host disease. TNF receptor type 2 (TNFR2) is a target molecule that modulates Treg functions.

Visualizing the spatial localization of ciclesonide and its metabolites in rat lungs after inhalation of 1-μm aerosol of ciclesonide by desorption electrospray ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry imaging.

Inhaled ciclesonide (CIC), a corticosteroid used to treat asthma that is also being investigated for the treatment of corona virus disease 2019, hydrolyzes to desisobutyryl-ciclesonide (des-CIC) followed by reversible esterification when exposed to fatty acids in lungs. While previous studies have described the distribution and metabolism of the compounds after inhalation, spatial localization in the lungs remains unclear. We visualized two-dimensional spatial localization of CIC and its metabolites in rat lungs after administration of a single dose of a CIC aerosol (with the mass median aerodynamic diameter of 0.

An evaluation framework for new approach methodologies (NAMs) for human health safety assessment.

The need to develop new tools and increase capacity to test pharmaceuticals and other chemicals for potential adverse impacts on human health and the environment is an active area of development. Much of this activity was sparked by two reports from the US National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies of Sciences, Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-first Century: A Vision and a Strategy (2007) and Science and Decisions: Advancing Risk Assessment (2009), both of which advocated for "science-informed decision-making" in the field of human health risk assessment. The response to these challenges for a "paradigm shift" toward using new approach methodologies (NAMS) for safety assessment has resulted in an explosion of initiatives by numerous organizations, but, for the most part, these have been carried out independently and are not coordinated in any meaningful way.

CYP3A4 Induction in the Liver and Intestine of Pregnane X Receptor/CYP3A-Humanized Mice: Approaches by Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Portal Blood Analysis.

Induction of cytochrome P450 enzyme 3A (CYP3A) in response to pregnane X receptor (PXR) activators shows species-specific differences. To study the induction of human CYP3A in response to human PXR activators, we generated a double-humanized mouse model of PXR and CYP3A. CYP3A-humanized mice generated by using a mouse artificial chromosome (MAC) vector containing the entire genomic human CYP3A locus (hCYP3A-MAC mouse line) were bred with PXR-humanized mice in which the ligand-binding domain of mouse PXR was replaced with that of human PXR, resulting in double-humanized mice (hCYP3A-MAC/hPXR mouse line).

Human-rat chimeric anti-occludin monoclonal antibodies inhibit hepatitis C virus infection.

Occludin (OCLN), an integral tetra-spanning plasma membrane protein, is a host entry factor essential for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, making it a promising host-targeting molecule for HCV therapeutic intervention. We previously generated rat anti-OCLN monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that strongly prevented HCV infection in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we attempted to improve the druggability of the extracellular loop domain-recognizing anti-OCLN mAbs, namely clones 1-3 and 37-5, using genetic engineering.

Japanese Food Allergen Labeling Regulation: An Update.

The Japanese food allergen labeling regulation was designed to match real Japanese food allergy circumstances and also to be enforced effectively; thus, (1) regulated food allergens were selected by prevalence and seriousness according to food allergy surveys in Japan; (2) the detection criterion for ELISA monitoring, 10 μg food allergen protein/g (or mL) food, was set up as the threshold value to regulate commercial prepackaged foods; and (3) official food allergen analytical methods, which can determine the threshold value accurately, were developed. These three points are distinctive from other countries. Furthermore, as an on-going project, the regulation has been amended according to food allergy circumstances and requirements of society.

Creation of a Claudin-2 Binder and Its Tight Junction-Modulating Activity in a Human Intestinal Model.

Disruption of the gastrointestinal epithelial barrier is a hallmark of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). The transmembrane protein claudin 2 (CLDN2) is a component of epithelial tight junctions (TJs). In the intestines of patients with IBDs, the expression of the pore-forming TJ protein CLDN2 is upregulated.

Targeted Degradation of Proteins Localized in Subcellular Compartments by Hybrid Small Molecules.

Development of novel small molecules that selectively degrade pathogenic proteins would provide an important advance in targeted therapy. Recently, we have devised a series of hybrid small molecules named SNIPER (specific and nongenetic IAP-dependent protein ERaser) that induces the degradation of target proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. To understand the localization of proteins that can be targeted by this protein knockdown technology, we examined whether SNIPER molecules are able to induce degradation of cellular retinoic acid binding protein II (CRABP-II) proteins localized in subcellular compartments of cells.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Salmonella and Campylobacter in Retail Poultry Meat in Japan.

This study was performed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and genetic relatedness of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica and Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat, and to analyze the association of genetic types of these bacteria with their geographical distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles.

No contribution of the ABCB11 p.444A polymorphism in Japanese patients with drug-induced cholestasis.

European studies have revealed that the ABCB11 c.1331T>C (V444A) polymorphism (rs2287622) C-allele frequency is higher among patients with drug-induced cholestasis. Given the low incidence of this disease, however, this association has not been sufficiently elucidated.

Discovery of anti-claudin-1 antibodies as candidate therapeutics against hepatitis C virus.

Claudin-1 (CLDN1), a known host factor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry and cell-to-cell transmission, is a target molecule for inhibiting HCV infection. We previously developed four clones of mouse anti-CLDN1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) that prevented HCV infection in vitro. Two of these mAbs showed the highest antiviral activity.

Development of an anti-claudin-3 and -4 bispecific monoclonal antibody for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Most malignant tumors are derived from epithelium, and claudin (CLDN)-3 and CLDN-4 are frequently overexpressed in such tumors. Although antibodies have potential in cancer diagnostics and therapy, development of antibodies against CLDNs has been difficult because the extracellular domains of CLDNs are too small and there is high homology among human, rat, and mouse sequences. Here, we created a monoclonal antibody that recognizes human CLDN-3 and CLDN-4 by immunizing rats with a plasmid vector encoding human CLDN-4.

Protective effect of dextromethorphan against endotoxic shock in mice.

Dextromethorphan (DM) is a dextrorotatory morphinan and an over-the-counter non-opioid cough suppressant. We have previously shown that DM protects against LPS-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration through inhibition of microglia activation. Here, we investigated protective effects of DM against endotoxin shock induced by lipopolysaccharide/d-galactosamine (LPS/GalN) in mice and the mechanism underlying its protective effect.