Roles and Targets of Class I and IIa Histone Deacetylases in Cardiac Hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy occurs in association with heart diseases and ultimately results in cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are post-translational modifying enzymes that can deacetylate histones and non-histone proteins. Research with HDAC inhibitors has provided evidence that the class I HDACs are pro-hypertrophic. Among the class I HDACs, HDAC2 is activated by hypertrophic stresses in association with the induction of heat shock protein 70. Activated HDAC2 triggers hypertrophy by inhibiting the signal cascades of either Krüppel like factor 4 (KLF4) or inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase f (Inpp5f). Thus, modulators of HDAC2 enzymes, such as selective HDAC inhibitors, are considered to be an important target for heart diseases, especially for preventing cardiac hypertrophy. In contrast, class IIa HDACs have been shown to repress cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting cardiac-specific transcription factors such as myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2), GATA4, and NFAT in the heart. Studies of class IIa HDACs have shown that the underlying mechanism is regulated by nucleo-cytoplasm shuttling in response to a variety of stress signals. In this review, we focus on the class I and IIa HDACs that play critical roles in mediating cardiac hypertrophy and discuss the non-histone targets of HDACs in heart disease

Effects of interchannel crosstalk in multichannel microphone technique

Even though the significance of interchannel crosstalk in multichannel microphone technique has been an issue of much debate in the field of sound recording, any effects on the perception of reproduced phantom images have not been investigated systematically. There is consequently no experimental data to which sound engineers can refer when attempting to control interchannel crosstalk in the design and application of multichannel microphone technique. It was therefore necessary to investigate the effects of such interchannel crosstalk in both the perceptual and the physical domains. Extant multichannel microphone techniques were reviewed, concentrating on their crosstalk characteristics. Findings from concert hall and room acoustics studies relating to the effects of early reflections, which might be the basis for understanding the perceptual effects of interchannel crosstalk, were also studied. The effects of interchannel time and intensity relationship and sound source type on the perception of stereophonic phantom image attributes were first examined in the context of two-channel stereophonic reproduction. The perceptual attributes of phantom sources affected by interchannel crosstalk in three- channel microphone technique were then elicited, and the effects of interchannel time and intensity relationship, sound source type and acoustic condition on the perception of those attributes were investigated. The effects of interchannel crosstalk on sound quality preference were also examined in both controlled and practical manners. Finally, following objective measurements of experimental stimuli, relationships were established between the perceptual and objectively measured effects of interchannel crosstalk. It was found that the most salient perceptual effects of interchannel crosstalk were an increase in source width and a decrease in locatedness. The relationship between interchannel time and intensity differences involved in the crosstalk signal was significant for both effects. The type of sound source was significant only for the source width effect whereas the acoustic condition was significant only for the locatedness effect. The source width increase was mainly influenced by the middle frequencies of crosstalk signals in a region of the spectrum around 1000Hz, at the onsets of the signal envelopes. The results of listener preference experiments suggested that the preference for interchannel crosstalk would depend on the spectral and temporal characteristics of sound source to be recorded rather than on the magnitude of interchannel crosstalk.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Sonographic and cyst fluid cytological changes after EUS-guided pancreatic cyst ablation

Background and Aims The effect of EUS-guided pancreatic cyst ablation (PCA) on sonographic morphology and cyst fluid cytology is unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate morphological, cytological and change in cyst fluid DNA after PCA. Methods In a prospective single center study, consecutive patients with suspected benign 10 to 50 mm pancreatic cysts underwent baseline EUS-FNA and EUS-PCA followed 2 to 3 months later by repeat EUS, cyst fluid analysis and possible repeat PCA. Surveillance imaging after ablation was performed at least annually and classified as complete (CR), partial (PR), or persistent with <5%, 5% to 25%, and 25% of the original cyst volume, respectively. Results 36 patients underwent EUS-PCA with ethanol alone (n = 8) or ethanol and paclitaxel (n = 28) and CR occurred in 19 (56%). After EUS-PCA, EUS showed an increase in wall diameter in 68%, decreased number of septations in 24%, increased debris in 24%, loss of mural nodule or novel calcification in 21%, and alteration of fluid viscosity in 48%. Follow-up cytology showed increased epithelial cellularity in 27%, loss or decreased cellular atypia in 15%, and increased or appearance of macrophages in 24% and inflammatory cells in 15%. Post-ablation DNA amount increased and quality decreased in 71% each. Between the CR and non-CR patients, there was no significant difference in frequency of sonographic or cytological features. In the CR group, mean DNA quantity was significantly increased after ablation (p=0.023) without a change in quality (p=0.136) Conclusions EUS-PCA induces morphological and cytological changes of the pancreatic cysts none of which appear to predict overall imaging-defined response to ablation

Decreased abdominal fat and improved bone metabolism after taekwondo training in obese adolescents

Accumulation of abdominal fat during adolescence is associated with early metabolic dysfunctions and interrupting bone metabolism. This study aimed at investigating the effects of taekwondo training on abdominal fat and bone metabolism in obese adolescents. Twenty male obese adolescents, with a body mass index above 95th percentile (BMI: 29.4±1.90 kg/m2), aged 12-15 years, were assigned to the taekwondo training group (TKD, n=11) and control group (CON, n=9). Supervised taekwondo training was performed for 60 minutes/day, three times/week at 60-80% of participants’ heart rate reserve for 16 weeks. Body composition and bone mineral density (BMD) were estimated by dual X-ray absorptiometry. A computerized tomography scan was applied to estimate total abdominal fat (TAF), abdominal visceral fat (AVF), abdominal subcutaneous fat (ASF), and AVF to ASF ratio (VSR). Blood samples were analyzed for adipocytokines (leptin and adiponectin) and bone turnover markers (osteocalcin- OC and C-terminal telopeptide-CTx). There were significant interaction effects between abdominal fat variables and training where TAF (p<.01) and AVF (p<.05) decreased in TKD group. Bone metabolism including bone formation (OC, p<.05) and resorption markers (CTx, p<.05) were significantly increased only in the TKD group. The present study suggests that taekwondo training can be an effective afterschool activity program for providing health benefits including improving abdominal fat and bone metabolism in obese adolescents

St. John’s Wort Regulates Proliferation and Apoptosis in MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells by Inhibiting AMPK/mTOR and Activating the Mitochondrial Pathway

St. John’s Wort (SJW) has been used as an estrogen agonist in the systems affected by menopause. Also, hypericin, a bioactive compound of SJW, has been used as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy. In the present study, we investigate the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of SJWto demonstrate the chemo-preventive effect in human breast cancer cells. MCF-7 cellswere culturedwith DMSO or various concentrations of SJWethanol extract (SJWE). Cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, the expression of proteins involved in cell growth and apoptosis, and caspase-3/7 activity were examined. SJWE dose-dependently suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis ofMCF-7 cells. Mechanistically, SJWE enhanced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and decreased the expression of p-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and p-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). Also, SJWE inhibited the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and showed increases in the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bad with decreases in the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins including B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), and p-Bcl-2-associated death promoter (p-Bad). SJWE at 50 µg/mL showed markedly enhanced caspase-7 activation. Taken together, our results provide evidence that SJWE shows anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects via inhibition of AMPK/mTOR and activation of a mitochondrial pathway. Therefore, SJWE can be used as a chemo-preventive agent without photo-activation

Detection of the pine trees damaged by pin wilt disease using multiplantform and multitemporal remote sensing data

Remote Sensing LaboratoryKorea Forest Research Institute, Seoul, KOREA2005 International Symposium on Environmental Mornitoring in East Asia -Remote Sensing and Forests-,Hosted The EMEA Project, Kanazawa University 21st=Century COE Program -Environmental Monitoring and Predicition of Long- and Short- Term Dynamics of Pan-Japan Sea Area- ,予稿集, EMEA 2005 in Kanazawa, 国際学術研究公開シンポジウム『東アジアの環境モニタリング』－リモートセンシングと森林－,年月日：200511月28日～29日, 場所：KKRホテル金沢, 金沢大学自然科学研究科, 主催：金沢大学EMEAプロジェクト, 共催：金沢大学21世紀COEプログラム「環日本海域の環境変動と長期・短期変動予測

6.EMEA International Symposium in Kanazawa, Japan

Remote Sensing LaboratoryKorea Forest Research InstituteProject Number 14404021, Peport of Research Project ; Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(B)(2), from April 2002 to March 2006, Edited by Muramoto,Ken-ichiroKamata, NaotoKawanishi, TakuyaKubo, MamoruLiu, JiyuanLee, Kyu-Sung , 人工衛星データ活用のための東アジアの植生調査、課題番号14404021, 平成14年度～平成17年度科学研究費補助金, 基盤研究（B)(2)研究成果報告書, 研究代表者：村本, 健一郎, 金沢大学自然科学研究科教