Regulation of endothelin-1 production in cultured rat mesangial cells

Regulation of endothelin-1 production in cultured rat mesangial cells. We investigated the regulatory mechanisms of endothelin (ET)-1 production in cultured rat mesangial cells (MC), with a special focus on the roles of protein kinase A (PKA)- and protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated signaling systems. Vasoactive agents and growth promoting factors, including platelet-derived growth factor, vasopressin and thrombin, which act through receptors coupled to the phospholipase C-mediated signaling system, as well as phorbol ester and fetal calf serum stimulated ET-1 production. This effect was attenuated in PKC-depleted or H-7 (a PKC inhibitor) treated MC. On the other hand, an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP by forskolin or β-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol, which act as anti-mitogenic agents, inhibited serum-stimulated ET-1 production. In addition this effect was mimicked by the addition of 8-bromo-cyclic AMP to the medium. The effect of isoproterenol was abolished by propranolol. H-8, a PKA inhibitor, attenuated the inhibitory effect of forskolin. These findings suggest that ET-1 production in MC is regulated by interaction of both positive and negative signals mediated by PKC- and PKA-dependent mechanisms

Fertility knowledge and the timing of first childbearing: a cross-sectional study in Japan

Although fertility educational initiatives have increased in developed countries to prevent infertility and to broaden fertility choices, the relationship between knowledge and behaviour is still poorly understood. In order to investigate the association between fertility knowledge and timing of childbearing, we investigated male and female participants between 35 and 44 years of age who had children (n = 640) from an online survey conducted in Japan in 2013. The age at which participants actually gave birth to or fathered their first child was compared between those who were aware for at least a decade of age-related decline in female fertility (hereinafter, those with past fertility knowledge) and those without. Age at first birth was significantly younger and more narrowly distributed among women with past fertility knowledge than among those without: 28.2 ± 3.4 vs. 29.8 ± 4.6 (mean ± SD). A multivariate linear regression analysis showed that women with past fertility knowledge gave birth to their first child 2.34 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09–3.59] years earlier compared to those without such knowledge. No significant relation existed among men. Being informed in young adulthood about the facts of fertility might be related to starting a family at an earlier age, although further longitudinal evaluation will be necessary

Thin film write head field analysis using a benchmark problem

A benchmark problem has been proposed by the Storage Research Consortium (SRC) in Japan, for evaluating the applicability of computer codes to 3-D nonlinear eddy current analysis of thin film magnetic recording write head. Various codes using the finite element method are compared in terms of the write head field and the computational efficiency. The difficulty in 3-D mesh generation of thin film head is also discussed. The write head fields calculated by various codes using different meshes show fairly good agreement. The calculated write head fields are verified by measurement using a stroboscopic electron beam tomography. It is found that the calculation time strongly depends on unknown variables </p

Histological evaluation of nonsurgical periodontal treatment with and without the use of sodium hypochlorite / amino acids and cross-linked hyaluronic acid gels in dogs.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate periodontal wound healing following scaling and root planing (SRP) in conjunction with the application of sodium hypochlorite/amino acids and cross-linked hyaluronic acid (xHyA) gels in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS In four beagle dogs, 2-wall intrabony defects were created and metal strips were placed around the teeth. Clinical parameters were measured 4 weeks after plaque accumulation. The experimental root surfaces were subjected to SRP with either the subgingival application of a sodium hypochlorite/amino acid gel and a xHyA gel (test group) or SRP alone (control group) using a split-mouth design. Clinical parameters were re-evaluated at 6 weeks. The animals were sacrificed at 8 weeks for histological analysis. RESULTS The test group showed significant improvements in all clinical parameters compared to the control group. Histologically, the test group exhibited statistically significantly greater new bone formation [i.e., length of newly formed bone, new bone area] compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, statistically significantly greater formation of new attachment [i.e., linear length of new cementum adjacently to newly formed bone with inserting collagen fibers] and new cementum was detected in the test group compared with the control group at 8 weeks (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION The adjunctive subgingival application of sodium hypochlorite/amino acid and xHyA gels to SRP offers an innovative novel approach to enhance periodontal wound healing/regeneration. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The present findings have for the first-time shown histologic evidence for periodontal regeneration in support of this novel treatment modality

高齢夜間頻尿患者における夜間尿産生に対する閉塞性睡眠時無呼吸症候群の影響

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) on night-time secretion of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in older men with nocturia accompanied by nocturnal polyuria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred six men with nocturia aged ≥ 60 years underwent full-night polysomnography to determine whether they had OSAS. Blood count, standard chemistry panel, BNP, urinary ADH, urinary creatinine (u-Cre), and urinary osmolarity were measured at 6:00 AM, and a frequency volume chart was recorded on the same day that polysomnography was performed. RESULTS: We evaluated 83 patients after excluding 18 with mild OSAS and 5 with nocturnal polyuria index <0.35. Participants with OSAS had higher apnea-hypopnea index (P < .0001) than those without OSAS. Body mass index and systolic blood pressure were higher in OSAS patients than those in the control group. BNP was higher in the OSAS patients than in the control patients (48.6 ± 41.4 vs 30.7 ± 31.5; P = .0006). On urinalysis, OSAS patients showed higher urinary sodium and u-Cre secretion than controls (24.7 ± 11.3 vs 16.2 ± 5.1; P <.0001). Urine osmolarity was also higher in OSAS patients than in the control patients (616 ± 172 vs 516 ± 174; P = .0285). There was no significant difference in urinary ADH and u-Cre (6.7 ± 10.4 vs 6.8 ± 7.8; P = .3617) between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that older men with nocturnal polyuria and OSAS did not compensate their fluid imbalance presented with decreased secretion of ADH but increased BNP level.博士（医学）・乙第1349号・平成26年12月3日Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

The cooling process of the earth surface in the Arctic Circle

第2回極域科学シンポジウム/第34回気水圏シンポジウム 11月15日（火） 統計数理研究所 3階リフレッシュフロ

Key Role of the Ocean Western Boundary currents in shaping the Northern Hemisphere climate

The individual impact of North Atlantic and Pacific Ocean Western Boundary Currents (OWBCs) on the tropospheric circulation has recently been studied in depth. However, their simultaneous role in shaping the hemisphere-scale wintertime troposphere/stratosphere-coupled circulation and its variability have not been considered. Through semi-idealized Atmospheric General-Circulation-Model experiments, we show that the North Atlantic and Pacific OWBCs jointly maintain and shape the wintertime hemispheric circulation and its leading mode of variability Northern Annular Mode (NAM). The OWBCs energize baroclinic waves that reinforce quasi-annular hemispheric structure in the tropospheric eddy-driven jetstreams and NAM variability. Without the OWBCs, the wintertime NAM variability is much weaker and its impact on the continental and maritime surface climate is largely insignificant. Atmospheric energy redistribution caused by the OWBCs acts to damp the near-surface atmospheric baroclinicity and compensates the associated oceanic meridional energy transport. Furthermore, the OWBCs substantially weaken the wintertime stratospheric polar vortex by enhancing the upward planetary wave propagation, and thereby affecting both stratospheric and tropospheric NAM-annularity. Whereas the overall impact of the extra-tropical OWBCs on the stratosphere results mainly from the Pacific, the impact on the troposphere results from both the Pacific and Atlantic OWBCs

Axon terminal hypertrophy of striatal projection neurons with levodopa-induced dyskinesia priming

BackgroundA rat model of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) showed enlarged axon terminals of striatal direct pathway neurons in the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi) with excessive gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) storage in them. Massive GABA release to GPi upon levodopa administration determines the emergence of LID.ObjectivesWe examined whether LID and axon terminal hypertrophy gradually develop with repeated levodopa treatment in Parkinsonian rats to examine if the hypertrophy reflects dyskinesia priming.Methods6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned hemiparkinsonian rats were randomly allocated to receive saline injections (placebo group, 14 days; n = 4), injections of 6 mg/kg levodopa methyl ester combined with 12.5 mg/kg benserazide (levodopa-treated groups, 3-day-treatment; n = 4, 7-day-treatment; n = 4, 14-day-treatment; n = 4), or injections of 6 mg/kg levodopa methyl ester with 12.5 mg/kg benserazide and 1 mg/kg 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin for 14 days (8-OH-DPAT-treated group; n = 4). We evaluated abnormal involuntary movement (AIM) scores and axon terminals in the GPi.ResultsThe AIM score increased with levodopa treatment, as did the hypertrophy of axon terminals in the GPi, showing an increased number of synaptic vesicles in hypertrophied terminals.ConclusionIncreased GABA storage in axon terminals of the direct pathway neurons represents the priming process of LID