A hyperosmotic stress-induced mRNA of carp cell encodes Na+- and Cl−-dependent high affinity taurine transporter1The sequence reported in this paper has been deposited in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank database with accession no. AB006986.1

AbstractA cDNA clone encoding a Na+- and Cl−-dependent high affinity taurine transporter was isolated from a common carp cell line, Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC), as a hyperosmotic stress-inducible gene by RNA arbitrarily primed PCR. The clone contained a 2.5-kb cDNA fragment including an open reading frame of 1878 bp encoding a protein of 625 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of carp taurine transporter shows 78–80% identity to those of cloned mammalian taurine transporters. The functional characteristics of the cloned transporter were analyzed by expression in COS-7 cells. Transfection with the cDNA induced Na+- and Cl−-dependent taurine transport activity with an apparent Km of 56 μM. The Na+/Cl−/taurine coupling ratio for cloned transporter was estimated as 2:1:1. Uptake of radiolabeled taurine was inhibited by excessive cold taurine, hypotaurine, β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid but not by α-alanine, glycine, leucine or glycinebetaine. Taurine transporter mRNA is ubiquitously distributed in carp tissues, and its level decreases in the order: kidney>spleen>heart>fin>eye≈intestine≈gill>skin>brain>muscle>hepatopancreas. Taurine transporter mRNA level increased up to 7.5-fold on raising the ambient osmolality from 300 to 450 mosmol/kgH2O. These data suggest the significant role of taurine as an osmolyte in carp cells

Assessment of preoperative exercise capacity in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with chronic liver injury undergoing hepatectomy

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing measures oxygen uptake at increasing levels of work and predicts cardiopulmonary performance under conditions of stress, such as after abdominal surgery. Dynamic assessment of preoperative exercise capacity may be a useful predictor of postoperative prognosis. This study examined the relationship between preoperative exercise capacity and event-free survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with chronic liver injury who underwent hepatectomy. METHODS: Sixty-one HCC patients underwent preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing to determine their anaerobic threshold (AT). The AT was defined as the break point between carbon dioxide production and oxygen consumption per unit of time (VO(2)). Postoperative events including recurrence of HCC, death, liver failure, and complications of cirrhosis were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate associations between 35 clinical factors and outcomes, and identify independent prognostic indicators of event-free survival and maintenance of Child-Pugh class. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses identified preoperative branched-chain amino acid/tyrosine ratio (BTR) <5, alanine aminotransferase level ≥42 IU/l, and AT VO(2) <11.5 ml/min/kg as independent prognostic indicators of event-free survival. AT VO(2) <11.5 ml/min/kg and BTR <5 were identified as independent prognostic indicators of maintenance of Child-Pugh class. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified preoperative exercise capacity as an independent prognostic indicator of event-free survival and maintenance of Child-Pugh class in HCC patients with chronic liver injury undergoing hepatectomy

食べもののおいしさはこんなことにも左右される

われわれの日々の食事はいつでもおいしいことが望ましい. しかし、同じ食材を使って同じ調理法で作っても、かならずしもそうなるとは限らない. その原因は、さまざまな因子がおいしさの感覚に大なり小なり影響するからである. ここでは食事の前に、最中に、あるいは終了後にそれらの因子がどのように作用するのか解説する.Foods constituting our daily meals do not always give palatable feelings even when they are prepared in the same cooking procedures and also by using the same food materials. This most probably results from influences produced by a large variety of factors, some of which correlate closely to brain functions. Those factors are described in relation to taste and flavor of the foods in addition to information obtained before and even after the meals

ギョルイノヒスチジンタイシャニカンスルケンキュウ

京都大学0048新制・論文博士農学博士乙第1817号論農博第307号新制||農||108(附属図書館)学位論文||S46||N421(農学部図書室)3068UT51-46-C1035(主査)教授 池田 静徳, 教授 木俣 正夫, 教授 門田 元学位規則第5条第2項該当Kyoto UniversityDA