成人女性の常温と寒冷における体温調節反応の比較

The purpose of this study was to observe the differences of thermoregulatory responses between normal condition (24℃RH 50%) and cold temperature condition (-30℃). Subjects were 18 healthy Japanese adult women (age : 21.5±1.1 yrs, stature : 158.9±3.3 cm, weight : 52.3±8.0 kg, fat% : 25.7±4.4%). The clothing conditions were 0.18 clo for normal condition and 2.0 clo for cold condition. The exposure time was 40 minutes for the first normal condition, 20 minutes for cold condition and 40 minutes for the second normal condition. The subjects kept a sitting position. Measurement items were rectal temperature, skin temperature, oxygen uptake and subjective sensations. We determined atsugari (susceptibility to the heat) and samugari (susceptibility to the cold) according to the subjective sensations during the first normal condition exposure. The grouping of atsugari and samugari did not always agree with the self-reported atsugari and samugari of each subject. The atsugari group had a tendency to show high peripheral skin temperature, low rectal temperature and warmer thermal sensation than samugari group. However, it was not significant. Oxygen uptake was significantly higher (p<0.05) in samugari group than atsugari group

Specific inhibition of serine/arginine-rich protein kinase attenuates choroidal neovascularization.

Purpose: To investigate the applicability of serine/arginine-rich protein kinase (SRPK)-specific inhibitor, SRPIN340, for attenuation of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) formation using a mouse model. Methods: Laser photocoagulation was performed to induce CNV in C57BL/6J mice, followed by intravitreal injection of SRPIN340 or vehicle. Seven days after the treatment, the CNV size was evaluated using a flatmount technique. Protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inflammation-associated molecules, such as monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, in the retinal pigment epithelium-choroid complex were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression levels of total Vegf, exon 8a-containing Vegf isoforms, and F4/80 (a specific marker for macrophage) were assessed using real-time PCR. Results: SRPIN340 inhibited CNV formation in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the vehicle, SRPIN340 significantly decreased the protein levels of VEGF, MCP-1, ICAM-1, and consequently inhibited macrophage infiltration. Furthermore, SRPIN340 suppressed the gene expression levels of total Vegf and exon 8a-containing Vegf isoforms. Conclusions: SRPIN340, a specific inhibitor of SRPK, suppressed Vegf expression and attenuated CNV formation. Our data suggest the possibility that SRPIN340 is applicable for neovascular age-related macular degeneration as a novel chemical therapeutics

The Course of Incidental Intraorbital Cavernous Hemangioma in a Patient with Myasthenia Gravis Treated with Cyclosporine: A Case Report

A 69-year-old woman presented with generalized myasthenia gravis and a left orbital cavernous hemangioma (OCH), which elevated the optic nerve and displaced the external eye muscles. Cyclosporine treatment induced a gradual size reduction in the OCH, and consequently contributed to improved external ocular symptoms in combination with immunosuppressant effects

Specific inhibition of serine/arginine-rich protein kinase attenuates choroidal neovascularization. Mol Vis 19:536–43

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the primary cause of visual loss in developed countries The cytokine VEGF had long been considered a proangiogenic factor, but Bates and his colleagues identified antiangiogenic VEGF isoforms, VEGFxxxb (xxx denotes the number of amino acids), generated as a result of distal splice site selection in exon 8 (i.e., exon 8b) during alternative splicing of VEGF messenger RNA precursor (pre-mRNA) METHODS Animals and induction of choroidal neovascularization: Eight-week-old C57BL/6J male mice (CLEA Japan, Tokyo, Japan) were used for this study. Purpose: To investigate the applicability of serine/arginine-rich protein kinase (SRPK)-specific inhibitor, SRPIN340, for attenuation of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) formation using a mouse model. Methods: Laser photocoagulation was performed to induce CNV in C57BL/6J mice, followed by intravitreal injection of SRPIN340 or vehicle. Seven days after the treatment, the CNV size was evaluated using a flatmount technique. Protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inflammation-associated molecules, such as monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, in the retinal pigment epithelium-choroid complex were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression levels of total Vegf, exon 8a-containing Vegf isoforms, and F4/80 (a specific marker for macrophage) were assessed using real-time PCR. Results: SRPIN340 inhibited CNV formation in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the vehicle, SRPIN340 significantly decreased the protein levels of VEGF, MCP-1, ICAM-1, and consequently inhibited macrophage infiltration. Furthermore, SRPIN340 suppressed the gene expression levels of total Vegf and exon 8a-containing Vegf isoforms. Conclusions: SRPIN340, a specific inhibitor of SRPK, suppressed Vegf expression and attenuated CNV formation. Our data suggest the possibility that SRPIN340 is applicable for neovascular age-related macular degeneration as a novel chemical therapeutics