Gene Expression Analysis of CCNs Along with Odontoblastic Differentiation In Vivo.

Dental pulp cells (DPCs) differentiate into odontoblasts. To observe odontoblastic differentiation, the detection of dentinogenesis-specific molecules such as dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and the measurement of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity are reliable approaches. CCN family member 2 (CCN2) has been proposed as a marker for dentinogenesis.

Amiodarone-induced Thyrotoxicosis with Cardiopulmonary Arrest.

We describe a case of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) with cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) in a 49-year-old woman. The patient had been treated with amiodarone for non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Two weeks prior to her admission, she developed thyrotoxicosis and prednisolone (PSL, 30 mg daily) was administered with the continuation of amiodarone.

Investigation of Japanese-specific alleles: most are of Jomon lineage.

Japanese-specific alleles are expected to be powerful markers for the differentiation of the Japanese from other people. In this study, three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the GALNT11, H19, and PLA2G12A genes were analyzed in 2396 DNA samples from 25 global populations, and the derived alleles suggested that Japanese-specific alleles exist on autosomes. To identify new Japanese-specific alleles, candidate SNPs obtained from the HapMap database were investigated using 875 DNA samples from nine populations.

[One hath more ado to preserve than to get--two examples of extracurricular course for cultivating a sense of research mind].

Japanese medical schools currently confront a serious problem endangering the carrier path of medical students or doctors to the medical research activities in academic institutions. To address this issue, we have established an elective research promotion curriculum for medical students at the University of Yamanashi School of Medicine in 2006. While this system goes well in recruiting medical students to both basic and clinical research, we encounter now several issues that have to be fixed to consolidate this curriculum.

Effects of urethane on reflex activity of lower urinary tract in decerebrate unanesthetized rats.

Effects of urethane on lower urinary tract function were examined in decerebrate unanesthetized rats. During single slow infusion (0.04 ml/min) cystometrograms (CMGs), urethane (0.

Anatomy of the levator claviculae, with an overview and a literature survey.

We report here an anatomical study of the levator claviculae discovered during an anatomical dissection course for medical students. The muscle was identified on the left side, and followed a typical topography to previous detections, originating from the transverse process of the fourth cervical vertebra and attaching to the upper facet of the middle part of the clavicle. Innervation to this muscle came from both the third and fourth rami of the cervical spinal nerves.

Expression of aquaporin3 in human neoplastic tissues.

Aims: Aquaporin3 (AQP3) is distributed widely in mammalian tissues and plays an important role in fluid homeostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of expression of AQP3 in a variety of human neoplastic tissues and to explore its diagnostic implications.

Methods And Results: We studied 798 neoplastic tissues using immunohistochemistry with anti-AQP3 antibody.

Differential expression of aquaporins and its diagnostic utility in thyroid cancer.

Background: Aquaporin3 (AQP3) and Aquaporin4 (AQP4) play a major role in transcellular and transepithelial water movement as water channel membrane proteins. Little is known of their expression and significance in human thyroid tissues. Thus, we examined the expression of AQP3 and AQP4 in normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic thyroid tissues in conjunction with human thyroid cancer cell lines.

Emerging Families of Ion Channels Involved in Urinary Bladder Nociception.

The expression of multiple ion channels and receptors is essential for nociceptors to detect noxious stimuli of a thermal, mechanical or chemical nature. The peripheral sensory transduction systems of the urinary bladder include sensory nerve endings, urothelial cells and others whose location is suitable for transducing mechanical and chemical stimuli. There is an increasing body of evidence implicating the Deg/ENaC and TRP channel families in the control of bladder afferent excitability under physiological and pathological conditions.

Functional roles of TRPV1 channels in lower urinary tract irritated by acetic acid: in vivo evaluations of the sex difference in decerebrate unanesthetized mice.

Sex-specific differences in activity of the lower urinary tract (LUT) responding to acid irritation in mice have been revealed. This study, using continuous infusion cystometry with acetic acid (AA; pH 3.0), was conducted to examine whether the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) channels expressed in the mouse LUT are involved in the sex difference in functional responses of the bladder and urethra to irritation.

RET/PTC rearrangements arising from a small population of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells, possible candidate for passenger mutation.

RET rearrangements (RET/PTC) is a major genetic alteration in papillary thyroid carcinomas. However, the prevalence of RET/PTC differs considerably among investigators, and its impact on cancer progression has been controversial. In the current study, we applied interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to touch imprint cytology of 14 papillary thyroid carcinomas along with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis.

Sex differences in the expression profile of acid-sensing ion channels in the mouse urinary bladder: a possible involvement in irritative bladder symptoms.

Objective: To investigate the expressions and sex differences of acid-sensitive ion channels (i.e. ASIC and transient receptor potential channel V1, TRPV1; both key receptors for extracellular protons that might underlie the acid-evoked pain perception) and other nociceptive ion channels in the mouse bladder.

Sex-related differences in activity of lower urinary tract in response to intravesical acid irritation in decerebrate unanesthetized mice.

Sex-related differences in lower urinary tract (LUT) activity responding to intravesical infusion of diluted acetic acid (A/A, pH 3.0) were investigated during cystometrograms in decerebrate unanesthetized mice. A/A produced a decrease of intercontraction intervals in both female and male animals, and the extent of the decrease in male mice was much less than in female mice [19 +/- 5% (P = 0.

Histopathology of the thyroid in amiodarone-induced hypothyroidism.

Amiodarone is well recognized as an anti-arrhythmic drug containing a high dose of iodine with considerable potential to cause thyroid dysfunction. The present patient was a 66-year-old Japanese woman who developed a cardiac arrhythmia and was given amiodarone as an anti-arrhythmic agent for approximately 3 months, until the day before her death. However, 19 days after starting amiodarone, serum testing indicated a hypothyroid status that was not recognized clinically.

Expression of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) in normal and neoplastic lung tissues.

Aquaporin 3 (AQP3) acts as the membrane channel of water and other small solutes and plays a major role in fluid homeostasis. To investigate the expression of AQP3 in normal and neoplastic lung tissues, we studied a series of 149 lung carcinoma tissues and 2 cell lines by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. In normal lung tissues, immunohistochemical expression of AQP3 was demonstrated in bronchial basal cells, alveolar type II cells, bronchiolar epithelial cells, and secretory cells of submucosal glands.

Cross-talk between the estrogen receptor-, protein kinase A-, and mitogen-activated protein kinase-mediated signaling pathways in the regulation of lactotroph proliferation in primary culture.

Using pharmacological means we investigated the functional interactions between the estrogen receptor (ER)-, protein kinase A (PKA)-, and mitogen-activating protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated pathways in the regulation of lactotroph proliferation in primary culture. Treatment of lactotrophs for 28 h with the PKA inhibitor H89 or KT5720, an effective inhibitor of forskolin-induced proliferation, inhibited both insulin- and estradiol-induced proliferation. Inhibition of the MAPK activity by PD98059 or U0126 suppressed not only insulin-induced proliferation but also forskolin- and estradiol-induced proliferation.

Famotidine does not induce long QT syndrome: experimental evidence from in vitro and in vivo test systems.

The effects of famotidine on the cardiac repolarization process were assessed using four different levels of test systems described in the draft stage guideline ICH S7B. A supratherapeutic concentration of famotidine (10(-5) M), which is >8 times higher than C(max) obtained after its therapeutic dose, neither inhibited human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) K(+) current expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells nor affected any of the action potential parameters of guinea pig papillary muscles. Therapeutic (0.