Antibacterial efficacy of photocatalytic reaction on titanium dioxide-coated ceramic air filters

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis generates reactive oxygen species such as ・OH and ・O2-, which can effectively eliminate organic compounds. In the present study, we evaluated the antibacterial and antifungal effects of TiO2-coated ceramic air filters in both laboratory and hospital settings. Photocatalysis with the TiO2-coated ceramic filter effectively inactivated all 4 pathogenic organisms tested. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. After the photocatalysis reaction for 4 h under UV-A (365nm, 250μW/㎠) irradiation, the percentage reductions of the number of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, C. albicans cells were 99.9%, 98.9%, 97.7% and 99.9%, respectively, indicating that Gram-negative bacteria are more susceptible to such photocatalysis than Gram-positive bacteria. Scanning electron microscopic analysis showed damage to the cytoplasmic membrane and cell wall by photocatalysis : consistent with above observations, the morphological change of Gram-negative E. coli was greater than that of Gram-positive S. aureus. 　Further, an air cleaner equipped with a TiO2-coated ceramic filter significantly decreased the number of bacteria floating in hospitals. 　These results indicate that air cleaners with TiO2-coated ceramic filters could be useful in reducing the incidence of nosocomial infections

Oral intake of rice overexpressing ubiquitin ligase inhibitory pentapeptide prevents atrophy in denervated skeletal muscle

We previously reported that intramuscular injections of ubiquitin ligase CBLB inhibitory pentapeptide (Cblin; Asp-Gly-pTyr-Met-Pro) restored lost muscle mass caused by sciatic denervation. Here, we detected Cblin on the basolateral side of Caco-2 cells after being placed on the apical side, and found that cytochalasin D, a tight junction opener, enhanced Cblin transport. Orally administered Cblin was found in rat plasma, indicating that intact Cblin was absorbed in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, transgenic Cblin peptide-enriched rice (CbR) prevented the denervation-induced loss of muscle mass and the upregulation of muscle atrophy-related ubiquitin ligases in mice. These findings indicated that CbR could serve as an alternative treatment for muscle atrophy

コンピュータシステムを使った本学学生の食生活調査(自然科学)

本学学生534名を対象に食物摂取状況の調査を行い,特に今回は栄養素摂取量および食品群別摂取量について検討した。1)栄養摂取状況は,男女とも三大栄養素についてはおおむね好ましい摂取傾向であったが,ミネラル,ビタミン類は著しい摂取不足であった。2)動物性たん白質比は,女性48.4%,男性41.5%,植物性脂肪と動物性脂肪の割合は,男女とも1.5:1.0であった。また,PECエネルギー比は,女性13.1%,27.0%,58.0%,男性12.6%,25.3%,61.9%でいずれも適正比率であった。3)食品群別摂取状況は,男女とも肉類,魚介類,砂糖類は基準に達しており,その他の食品群は不足傾向であった。特に果実類,いも類,緑黄色野菜の摂取量が極めて少なかった。4)住形態別では,居住の違いが大きく影響することが示された。下宿生,寮生は自宅生に比べてかなりの摂取不足が認められた

GSK-3β Is Required for Memory Reconsolidation in Adult Brain

Activation of GSK-3β is presumed to be involved in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized by memory disturbances during early stages of the disease. The normal function of GSK-3β in adult brain is not well understood. Here, we analyzed the ability of heterozygote GSK-3β knockout (GSK+/−) mice to form memories. In the Morris water maze (MWM), learning and memory performance of GSK+/− mice was no different from that of wild-type (WT) mice for the first 3 days of training. With continued learning on subsequent days, however, retrograde amnesia was induced in GSK+/− mice, suggesting that GSK+/− mice might be impaired in their ability to form long-term memories. In contextual fear conditioning (CFC), context memory was normally consolidated in GSK+/− mice, but once the original memory was reactivated, they showed reduced freezing, suggesting that GSK+/− mice had impaired memory reconsolidation. Biochemical analysis showed that GSK-3β was activated after memory reactivation in WT mice. Intraperitoneal injection of a GSK-3 inhibitor before memory reactivation impaired memory reconsolidation in WT mice. These results suggest that memory reconsolidation requires activation of GSK-3β in the adult brain

Comprehensive behavioral analysis of voltage-gated calcium channel beta-anchoring and -regulatory protein knockout mice.

Calcium (Ca[2+]) influx through voltage-gated Ca[2+] channels (VGCCs) induces numerous intracellular events such as neuronal excitability, neurotransmitter release, synaptic plasticity, and gene regulation. It has been shown that genes related to Ca[2+] signaling, such as the CACNA1C, CACNB2, and CACNA1Igenes that encode VGCC subunits, are associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Recently, VGCC beta-anchoring and -regulatory protein (BARP) was identified as a novel regulator of VGCC activity via the interaction of VGCC β subunits. To examine the role of the BARP in higher brain functions, we generated BARP knockout (KO) mice and conducted a comprehensive battery of behavioral tests. BARP KO mice exhibited greatly reduced locomotor activity, as evidenced by decreased vertical activity, stereotypic counts in the open field test, and activity level in the home cage, and longer latency to complete a session in spontaneous T-maze alteration test, which reached “study-wide significance.” Acoustic startle response was also reduced in the mutants. Interestingly, they showed multiple behavioral phenotypes that are seemingly opposite to those seen in the mouse models of schizophrenia and its related disorders, including increased working memory, flexibility, prepulse inhibition, and social interaction, and decreased locomotor activity, though many of these phenotypes are statistically weak and require further replications. These results demonstrate that BARP is involved in the regulation of locomotor activity and, possibly, emotionality. The possibility was also suggested that BARP KO mice may serve as a unique tool for investigating the pathogenesis/pathophysiology of schizophrenia and related disorders. Further evaluation of the molecular and physiological phenotypes of the mutant mice would provide new insights into the role of BARP in higher brain functions