Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Japanese Fermented Fish (Funa-Sushi) Inhibit Mesangial Proliferative Glomerulonephritis by Alcohol Intake with Stress

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of heat-killed Lactobacillus paracasei NFRI 7415 on kidney and bone in mice fed an ethanol-containing diet with stress. Eight-week-old Cril  :  CD1 mice were fed a control diet (CD), an alcohol diet (AD) (35.8% of total energy from ethanol), or an alcohol diet containing 20% heat-killed Lb. paracasei NFRI 7415 (107 CFU/g) (LD) for 4 weeks. Mice in the AD and LD groups also underwent restraint stress for two weeks from 13 days. The mice were placed in a 50 mL plastic tube, which had a small hole drilled around its base to allow ventilation, and restrained for 1 h every day. High final body weight was in the following order: CD, LD, and AD (p<0.05). The heat-killed Lb. paracasei NFRI 7415 lowered liver total cholesterol concentration and plasma glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) level. In addition, fecal bile acids of the LD group were higher than in the AD group (p<0.05). The glomerulus of the kidney in the AD group was observed to be more fibrotic than in the CD and LD groups with azan stain. Immunostaining confirmed that brown areas indicating the existence of mesangial cells were increased in the AD group, but not in the CD and LD groups. These results indicated that the heat-killed Lb. paracasei NFRI 7415 inhibited mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis by alcohol intake with stress

Effect of heat shock preconditioning on ROS scavenging activity in rat skeletal muscle after downhill running

金沢大学附属病院整形外科The mechanisms of the protective effect conferred by heat shock preconditioning (HS) are currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of HS on muscle injury after downhill running and to address the mechanism of the effect. Female Wistar rats were assigned to three groups: HS, downhill running (E), and downhill running after heat shock preconditioning (HS + E). The HS and HS + E rats were placed in a heat chamber for 60 min (ambient temperature 42 ± 1.0°C) 48 h before downhill running. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity was determined by electron spin resonance (ESR), and heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) mRNA expression was measured in rat quadriceps femoris. Leukocyte infiltration and degenerated muscle fibers were determined histopathologically. ROS scavenging activity significantly increased at 3 days after HS (151 ± 18%) and HSP72 mRNA expression increased immediately after HS (1750 ± 1914%). No decrease in ROS scavenging activity was observed in the HS + E rats at 2 days after exercise compared with the E rats (102 ± 9% vs. 79 ± 5%). Degenerated muscle fibers in HS + E rats were significantly less than in E rats at 2, 3, and 7 days after exercise (0.8 ± 1.0 vs. 2.8 ± 1.6, 0.8 ± 1.0 vs. 1.8 ± 1.6, 0 vs. 0.3 ± 0.6, respectively). These data demonstrated that HS can reduce muscle injury after downhill running, and this effect may be mediated by increased ROS scavenging activity. Furthermore, HS may protect the antioxidant defense system in skeletal muscle by enhancing the adaptive HSP72 mRNA response.全文公開20091

Mutant analyses reveal different functions of fgfr1 in medaka and zebrafish despite conserved ligand–receptor relationships

AbstractMedaka (Oryzias latipes) is a small freshwater teleost that provides an excellent developmental genetic model complementary to zebrafish. Our recent mutagenesis screening using medaka identified headfish (hdf) which is characterized by the absence of trunk and tail structures with nearly normal head including the midbrain–hindbrain boundary (MHB). Positional-candidate cloning revealed that the hdf mutation causes a functionally null form of Fgfr1. The fgfr1hdf is thus the first fgf receptor mutant in fish. Although FGF signaling has been implicated in mesoderm induction, mesoderm is induced normally in the fgfr1hdf mutant, but subsequently, mutant embryos fail to maintain the mesoderm, leading to defects in mesoderm derivatives, especially in trunk and tail. Furthermore, we found that morpholino knockdown of medaka fgf8 resulted in a phenotype identical to the fgfr1hdf mutant, suggesting that like its mouse counterpart, Fgf8 is a major ligand for Fgfr1 in medaka early embryogenesis. Intriguingly, Fgf8 and Fgfr1 in zebrafish are also suggested to form a major ligand–receptor pair, but their function is much diverged, as the zebrafish fgfr1 morphant and zebrafish fgf8 mutant acerebellar (ace) only fail to develop the MHB, but develop nearly unaffected trunk and tail. These results provide evidence that teleost fish have evolved divergent functions of Fgf8–Fgfr1 while maintaining the ligand–receptor relationships. Comparative analysis using different fish is thus invaluable for shedding light on evolutionary diversification of gene function

Thiazolidinediones enhance vascular endothelial growth factor expression and induce cell growth inhibition in non-small-cell lung cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is known that thiazolidinediones are involved in regulating the expression of various genes, including the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ); VEGF is a prognostic biomarker for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, we investigated the effects of troglitazone and ciglitazone on the mRNA expression of VEGF and its receptors in human NSCLC cell lines, RERF-LC-AI, SK-MES-1, PC-14, and A549. These mRNA expressions were evaluated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. We also studied the effect of Je-11, a VEGF inhibitor, on the growth of these cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In NSCLC cells, thiazolidinediones increased the mRNA expression of VEGF and neuropilin-1, but not that of other receptors such as fms-like tyrosine kinase and kinase insert domain receptor-1. Furthermore, the PPARγ antagonist GW9662 completely reversed this thiazolidinedione-induced increase in VEGF expression. Furthermore, the addition of VEGF inhibitors into the culture medium resulted in the reversal of thiazolidinedione-induced growth inhibition.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicated that thiazolidinediones enhance VEGF and neuropilin-1 expression and induce the inhibition of cell growth. We propose the existence of a pathway for arresting cell growth that involves the interaction of thiazolidinedione-induced VEGF and neuropilin-1 in NSCLC.</p

Genome Sequence of a Mesophilic Hydrogenotrophic Methanogen Methanocella paludicola, the First Cultivated Representative of the Order Methanocellales

We report complete genome sequence of a mesophilic hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanocella paludicola, the first cultured representative of the order Methanocellales once recognized as an uncultured key archaeal group for methane emission in rice fields. The genome sequence of M. paludicola consists of a single circular chromosome of 2,957,635 bp containing 3004 protein-coding sequences (CDS). Genes for most of the functions known in the methanogenic archaea were identified, e.g. a full complement of hydrogenases and methanogenesis enzymes. The mixotrophic growth of M. paludicola was clarified by the genomic characterization and re-examined by the subsequent growth experiments. Comparative genome analysis with the previously reported genome sequence of RC-IMRE50, which was metagenomically reconstructed, demonstrated that about 70% of M. paludicola CDSs were genetically related with RC-IMRE50 CDSs. These CDSs included the genes involved in hydrogenotrophic methane production, incomplete TCA cycle, assimilatory sulfate reduction and so on. However, the genetic components for the carbon and nitrogen fixation and antioxidant system were different between the two Methanocellales genomes. The difference is likely associated with the physiological variability between M. paludicola and RC-IMRE50, further suggesting the genomic and physiological diversity of the Methanocellales methanogens. Comparative genome analysis among the previously determined methanogen genomes points to the genome-wide relatedness of the Methanocellales methanogens to the orders Methanosarcinales and Methanomicrobiales methanogens in terms of the genetic repertoire. Meanwhile, the unique evolutionary history of the Methanocellales methanogens is also traced in an aspect by the comparative genome analysis among the methanogens

Self-Diffusion along Dislocations in Ultra High Purity Iron

Self-diffusion along dislocations in ultra high purity iron containing 0.5-1.2 mass ppm carbon, 0.1-1.0 mass ppm nitrogen and 1.8-4.0 mass ppm oxygen has been studied by the radioactive tracer method with the sputter-microsectioning technique. Below 700 K, the self-diffusion coefficient along dislocations has been determined directly from the type C kinetics classified by Harrison, whereas above 800 K it has been obtained by the type B kinetics assuming that the effective radius of dislocation pipe is equal to 5 × 10 −10 m. The temperature dependence of the self-diffusion coefficient along dislocations does not show a linear Arrhenius relation. Below 900 K the Arrhenius plot shows slightly downward curvature. However, above 900 K the self-diffusion coefficient along dislocations increases remarkably with increasing temperature. The value at 900 K is 10 −14 m 2 s −1 , while it takes 10 −10 m 2 s −1 at the Curie temperature (1043 K). It seems that the steep increase of the self-diffusion coefficient along dislocations near the Curie temperature is related to the magnetic transformation in ultra high purity iron