1,064 results match your criteria: "Niigata University of Pharmacy & Applied Life Sciences NUPALS[Affiliation]"

Background: Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) are sensitive to chemotherapy. The standard treatment is high-dose methotrexate (MTX)-based chemotherapy. There are no reports of successful treatment of acute uric acid nephropathy with rasburicase after MTX administration in PCNSLs.

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Phosphacan, a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, is a repulsive cue of cerebellar granule cells. This study aims to explore the molecular mechanism. The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored neural adhesion molecule TAG-1 is a binding partner of phosphacan, suggesting that the repulsive effect of phosphacan is possibly because of its interaction with TAG-1.

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Dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA), a serious complication among long-term hemodialysis patients, is caused by amyloid fibrils of β2-microglobulin (β2m). Although high serum β2m levels and a long dialysis vintage are the primary and secondary risk factors for the onset of DRA, respectively, patients with these do not always develop DRA, indicating that there are additional risk factors. To clarify these unknown factors, we investigate the effects of human sera on β2m amyloid fibril formation, revealing that sera markedly inhibit amyloid fibril formation.

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This study reports that black rice bran (BRB) intake for 50-52 consecutive weeks (∼12 months) reduces tau phosphorylation with a concomitant activation of insulin signaling and subsequent PI3K/AKT pathway in the brain of aged normal mice. BRB holds promise for preventing the formation of neurofibrillary tangles consisting of hyperphosphorylated tau, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

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Current treatment approaches for hyperlipidemia rely mainly on reducing the cholesterol level by inhibiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), which is involved in the presqualene pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis. Finding a compound that instead targets the postsqualene pathway could aid in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and synergistically reduce the cholesterol level when used in conjunction with HMGCR inhibitors. Ergosterol is a fungal sterol that is converted to brassicasterol by 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7).

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An analysis modality for vascular structures combining tissue-clearing technology and topological data analysis.

Nat Commun

September 2022

Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.

The blood and lymphatic vasculature networks are not yet fully understood even in mouse because of the inherent limitations of imaging systems and quantification methods. This study aims to evaluate the usefulness of the tissue-clearing technology for visualizing blood and lymphatic vessels in adult mouse. Clear, unobstructed brain/body imaging cocktails and computational analysis (CUBIC) enables us to capture the high-resolution 3D images of organ- or area-specific vascular structures.

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Background: Endothelial dysfunction is an early pathophysiological feature and independent predictor of a poor prognosis in most forms of cardiovascular disease. We evaluated the effect of brown rice crackers (BR-C) on endothelial function.

Methods: Effect of heat-moisture treated (HMT) -BR-C on postprandial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in adults with mild endothelial dysfunction was compared with that of BR-C and white rice crackers (WR-C) in 12 adults with mild endothelial dysfunction (less than 7.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers analyzed RNA-seq data from 465 blood samples, uncovering 1169 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and 1549 splice QTLs (sQTLs) linked to COVID-19 severity, including immune-related expressions.
  • * The study highlights the impact of disease severity on gene expression, identifying specific eQTLs that interact with COVID-19 phenotypes, and provides an extensive resource for understanding gene regulation in response to the virus.
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Effects of sulfate concentration on anaerobic treatment of wastewater containing monoethanolamine using an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor.

J Hazard Mater

October 2022

Regional Environment Conservation Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan; Research Center of Water Environment Technology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. Electronic address:

Monoethanolamine (MEA), a toxic organic chemical, is widely used in industries and is found in their wastewater. Anaerobic MEA degradation is an appropriate strategy to reduce energy and cost for treatment. Industry wastewaters also contain sulfate, but information on the effects of sulfate on MEA degradation is limited.

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We investigated the cell penetration of Sp1 zinc finger proteins (Sp1 ZF) and the mechanism which the total cationic charge and distribution of cationic residues on the protein surface affect intracellular trafficking. Sp1 ZFs showed intrinsic cell membrane permeability. The intracellular transfer of Sp1 ZFs other than 1F3 was dependent on the total cationic charge.

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Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer mortality, is decisive for successful treatment of this type of cancer and increasing the patients' survival rate. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a glycoprotein that has been currently employed as a potential serological biomarker for determination of HCC and several other cancers. Achieving highly sensitive and specific detection of this biomarker is an effective strategy to inhibit developing issues caused by the cancer.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 2,393 COVID-19 patients and 3,289 controls in Japan, identifying a specific genetic variant (rs60200309-A) on chromosome 5 linked to severe cases in individuals under 65.
  • The variant is more common in East Asians and associated with reduced expression of the DOCK2 gene, which was found to be lower in severe COVID-19 cases, particularly in non-classical monocytes.
  • Additionally, inhibiting DOCK2 in hamsters worsened pneumonia symptoms, indicating its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target for severe COVID-19.
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[Introduction to Myelin Research].

Yakugaku Zasshi

August 2022

Department of Molecular Neurobiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences.

Myelin is a multilamellar membrane structure formed by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). It has been recognized as an insulator that is essential for the rapid and efficient propagation of action potentials by saltatory conduction. However, recently many studies have shown that myelin and myelin-forming cells interact with axons and regulate the nervous system far more actively than previously thought.

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Background/aim: Vascular endothelial cells play an important role in regulating immune responses and in keeping the balance between blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. Inflammatory cytokines produced by activated macrophages and vascular endothelial cells excessively activate vascular endothelial cells, leading to an imbalance in the expression of blood coagulation- and fibrinolysis-related factors. The dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells can lead to development of various diseases.

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Background/aim: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is thought to be a causative agent of type 2 diabetes, because it has been shown that a single LPS stimulation in vitro induces chronic inflammation and reduces insulin signaling in adipocytes. However, oral LPS administration prevents type 2 diabetes, and this effect does not correspond to a single LPS adipocyte stimulation. In this study, the response of adipocytes to single and repeated stimulation with LPS was examined.

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Paranodal Axoglial Junctions, an Essential Component in Axonal Homeostasis.

Front Cell Dev Biol

July 2022

Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.

In vertebrates, a high density of voltage-gated Na channel at nodes of Ranvier and of voltage-gated K channel at juxtaparanodes is necessary for rapid propagation of action potential, that is, for saltatory conduction in myelinated axons. Myelin loops attach to the axonal membrane and form paranodal axoglial junctions (PNJs) at paranodes adjacent to nodes of Ranvier. There is growing evidence that the PNJs contribute to axonal homeostasis in addition to their roles as lateral fences that restrict the location of nodal axolemmal proteins for effective saltatory conduction.

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A decrease in TCA cycle activity may lead to impaired nutrition metabolism and cellular energy shortage. Herein, we aimed to characterize the detailed metabolic changes that compensate for energy shortages in energy-consuming organs (heart and skeletal muscles) in mice with knockout of citrate synthase (CS), an important enzyme in the TCA cycle. CS hetero knockout (CS +/-) mice and wild-type mice were fed a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD) or high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (HFHCD) to induce metabolic changes.

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The present study aimed to investigate the effects of fructo-, inulin-, and galacto-oligosaccharides (FOS, IOS, and GOS) on forming the Maillard reaction products such as browning, α-dicarbonyl compounds, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The model solutions at pH 6.8 containing each carbohydrate (mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides) and whey protein were incubated at 50 °C for 8 weeks.

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Water Droplet-in-Oil Digestion Method for Single-Cell Proteomics.

Anal Chem

July 2022

Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan.

Recent advances in single-cell proteomics highlight the promise of sensitive analyses in limited cell populations. However, technical challenges remain for sample recovery, throughput, and versatility. Here, we first report a water droplet-in-oil digestion (WinO) method based on carboxyl-coated beads and phase transfer surfactants for proteomic analysis using limited sample amounts.

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Historical Study for the Differences of Processing of Tuber Between China and Japan.

Front Pharmacol

June 2022

Department of Pharmacognosy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan.

Pinellia Tuber (the dried tuber of (Thunb.) Makino [Araceae]) (PT) is a crude drug used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Japanese Kampo medicine. PT is subjected to additional processing before use in TCM because of its toxic, while the processing has not been used in Kampo medicine.

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Article Synopsis
  • The ARDS Clinical Practice Guideline 2021 is a collaborative effort by Japanese medical societies to update the previous guidelines for managing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), now including recommendations for both adults and children.
  • The new guideline expands on the 2016 version by introducing a total of 61 clinical questions (CQs), which were investigated using systematic reviews and meta-analyses to determine recommendations based on evidence.
  • Key recommendations include avoiding certain diagnostic practices for pneumonia in adults, suggesting specific ventilation strategies, and advocating for low-dose steroids, while also providing tailored advice for pediatric patients regarding positioning and the use of respiratory support.
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Editorial for the Special Issue, "Quality Assay, Processing and Bio-Function of Rice Products".

Foods

June 2022

Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, Ellis Building, 13 Freedman Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.

Rice is one of the most important cereals in the world alongside wheat and maize [...

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Article Synopsis
  • Echigoshirayukidake is a unique mushroom from Japan, valued for its culinary and medicinal properties.
  • Research has identified several key components in the mushroom, including ergosterol and 10(E),12(Z)-CLA, which contribute to its antioxidant benefits.
  • The mushroom also contains uridine and adenosine, suggesting its potential roles in various biological functions, making it appealing as a functional food.
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Background: In Japan, engineering controls for preparing injectable anticancer drugs are inadequate and compliance with appropriate preparation procedures is vital. In this study, we evaluated the effects of adherence to appropriate anticancer drug formulation and packaging procedures on reducing anticancer drug dispersal in clinical practice, especially in Japan.

Methods: We quantitatively evaluated the effectiveness of implementing procedures that were experimentally verified to help reduce the amount of anticancer drug dispersed during preparation based on procedures described in the "Anticancer Drug Preparation Manual.

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