Effect of N-arachidonoyl-(2-methyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) amine (VDM11), an anandamide transporter inhibitor, on capsaicin-induced cough in mice

BACKGROUND: Several observations have suggested that anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid ligand, plays an important role in the modulation of cough sensitivity. However, it is unknown whether the anandamide membrane transporter plays a role in this modulation. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of VDM11, an anandamide membrane transporter inhibitor, on capsaicin- and anandamide-induced cough. METHODS: The effect of VDM11, an anandamide membrane transporter inhibitor, on capsaicin- and anandamide-induced cough in mice was examined. RESULTS: VDM11, at doses of 3–10 mg/kg subcutaneously, produced a dose-dependent antitussive effect. This antitussive effect was antagonized by pretreatment with either intraperitoneal administration (3 mg/kg) or inhalation (1 mg/ml) of SR141716A, a cannabinoid receptor (CB1) antagonist. However, intracerebroventricular injection of SR141716A (0.03 mg/mouse) did not alter the effect of VDM11. Exposure of mice to a nebulized solution of 10% DMSO, a vehicle of anandamide, induced a cough response (7.7 ± 0.6 coughs/3 min; n = 10). Exposure of mice to a nebulized solution of anandamide, at concentrations of 0.03, 0.3 and 3 mg/ml, also produced a cough response in a concentration-dependent manner. The number of coughs induced by low dose (0.03 mg/ml) anandamide was significantly less than that of 10% DMSO. On the other hand, the number of coughs induced by high dose (3 mg/ml) anandamide was significantly greater than that of 10% DMSO. When AM251 (1.8 mM), a selective CB1 receptor antagonist, was given by aerosol for 4 min before inhalation of 0.03 mg/ml of anandamide, the number of coughs was significantly increased to the level observed with 10% DMSO alone. When capsazepine (0.3 mM), a selective TRPV1 receptor antagonist, was given via aerosol for 4 min before inhalation of 3 mg/ml of anandamide, the number of coughs was significantly decreased to the levels observed with 10% DMSO alone. The number of coughs induced by high dose (3 mg/ml) anandamide was significantly and dose-dependently reduced by the pretreatment with VDM11. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid ligand, may modulate cough sensitivity and that anandamide transporters play an important role in this modulation. Furthermore, these findings indicate that inhibition of the uptake of anandamide produced a potent antitussive effect and suggests that the anandamide transporter may be a potential target for peripherally acting antitussive drugs

Duodenal ulcer penetration into the superior mesenteric artery after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement for acute mesenteric ischemia: report of a case

A 78-year-old male presented with the chief complaints of abdominal pain and vomiting. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography and abdominal angiography showed occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery due to thrombosis, and emergency percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement were carried out. Two months later, stent thrombosis developed, and a second stent was placed. Eight months later, he complained of general fatigue and anorexia. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a duodenal ulcer at the third portion close to the superior mesenteric artery. Thirteen days after conservative management, duodenal ulcer penetration into the superior mesenteric artery with subsequent air embolism developed, and the patient died of multiple organ failure

Modified Regression Rate Formula of PMMA Combustion by a Single Plane Impinging Jet

A modified regression rate formula for the uppermost stage of CAMUI-type hybrid rocket motor is proposed in this study. Assuming a quasi-steady, one-dimensional, an energy balance against a control volume near the fuel surface is considered. Accordingly, the regression rate formula which can calculate the local regression rate by the quenching distance between the flame and the regression surface is derived. An experimental setup which simulates the combustion phenomenon involved in the uppermost stage of a CAMUI-type hybrid rocket motor was constructed and the burning tests with various flow velocities and impinging distances were performed. A PMMA slab of 20 mm height, 60 mm width, and 20 mm thickness was chosen as a sample specimen and pure oxygen and O2/N2 mixture (50/50 vol.%) were employed as the oxidizers. The time-averaged regression rate along the fuel surface was measured by a laser displacement sensor. The quenching distance during the combustion event was also identified from the observation. The comparison between the purely experimental and calculated values showed good agreement, although a large systematic error was expected due to the difficulty in accurately identifying the quenching distance

A new ferromagnetic thiospinel CuCrZrS4 with re-entrant spin-glass behaviour

A new thiospinel CuCrZrS4 has been successfully synthesized by a solid-state chemical reaction. This CuCrZrS4 exhibits ferromagnetic properties below the Curie temperature at Tc=60±2 K. The appearance of irreversible effect between field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetization is prominent below around 5 K in a magnetic field of less than 150 Oe. The ac susceptibility χAC shows a rapid decrease below about 10 K. This low magnetic-field behaviour indicates the existence of a re-entrant spin-glass phase below about 10 K. The dc magnetic susceptibility above 100 K shows Curie-Weiss behaviour with an effective magnetic moment of 3.61 μB, which is a little less than the spin-only value of 3.87 μB for the Cr3+ ion. The asymptotic Curie temperature &thetas;p is approximately 65 K, which is a little higher than Tc. The valence state is confirmed to be Cu+Cr3+Zr4+S42- on the basis of magnetic properties. The electrical resistivity ρ shows a semiconducting temperature dependence over the temperature range from 4.2 to 280 K with an activation energy of 6.84×10-3 eV in the higher temperature range from 50 to 283

NBRP databases: databases of biological resources in Japan

The National BioResource Project (NBRP) is a Japanese project that aims to establish a system for collecting, preserving and providing bioresources for use as experimental materials for life science research. It is promoted by 27 core resource facilities, each concerned with a particular group of organisms, and by one information center. The NBRP database is a product of this project. Thirty databases and an integrated database-retrieval system (BioResource World: BRW) have been created and made available through the NBRP home page (http://www.nbrp.jp). The 30 independent databases have individual features which directly reflect the data maintained by each resource facility. The BRW is designed for users who need to search across several resources without moving from one database to another. BRW provides access to a collection of 4.5-million records on bioresources including wild species, inbred lines, mutants, genetically engineered lines, DNA clones and so on. BRW supports summary browsing, keyword searching, and searching by DNA sequences or gene ontology. The results of searches provide links to online requests for distribution of research materials. A circulation system allows users to submit details of papers published on research conducted using NBRP resources

Coordinated and Cohesive Movement of Two Small Conspecific Fish Induced by Eliciting a Simultaneous Optomotor Response

BACKGROUND: In animal groups such as herds, schools, and flocks, a certain distance is maintained between adjacent individuals, allowing them to move as a cohesive unit. Proximate causations of the cohesive and coordinated movement under dynamic conditions, however, have been poorly understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We established a novel and simple behavioral assay using pairs of small fish (medaka and dwarf pufferfish) by eliciting a simultaneous optomotor response (OMR). We demonstrated that two homospecific fish began to move cohesively and maintained a distance of 2 to 4 cm between them when an OMR was elicited simultaneously in the fish. The coordinated and cohesive movement was not exhibited under a static condition. During the cohesive movement, the relative position of the two fish was not stable. Furthermore, adult medaka exhibited the cohesive movement but larvae did not, despite the fact that an OMR could be elicited in larvae, indicating that this ability to coordinate movement develops during maturation. The cohesive movement was detected in homospecific pairs irrespective of body-color, sex, or albino mutation, but was not detected between heterospecific pairs, suggesting that coordinated movement is based on a conspecific interaction. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings demonstrate that coordinated behavior between a pair of animals was elicited by a simultaneous OMR in two small fish. This is the first report to demonstrate induction of a schooling-like movement in a pair of fish by an OMR and to investigate the effect of age, sex, body color, and species on coordination between animals under a dynamic condition