d-Psicose Inhibits Intestinal α-Glucosidase and Suppresses the Glycemic Response after Ingestion of Carbohydrates in Rats

d-psicose is one of the rare sugars present in small quantities in commercial carbohydrates and agricultural products. In this study, we investigated the effects of d-psicose on the activities of α-amylases and α-glucosidases in vitro, and evaluated the effects of d-psicose on the in vivo postprandial glycemic response using rats. In the in vitro study, d-psicose potently inhibited the intestinal sucrase and maltase, however, slightly inhibited the intestinal and salivary α-amylase activities. Male Wistar rats (6 months old) were administrated 2 g/kg of sucrose, maltose or soluble starch together with 0.2 g/kg of d-psicose or d-fructose. The d-psicose significantly inhibited the increment of plasma glucose concentration induced by sucrose or maltose. The starch-induced glycemic response tended to be suppressed by d-psicose, however the suppression was not significant. These results suggest that d-psicose inhibits intestinal sucrase and maltase activities and suppresses the plasma glucose increase the normally occurs after sucrose and maltose ingestion. Thus, d-psicose may be useful in preventing postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic patients when foods containing sucrose and maltose are ingested

Early transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells after spinal cord injury relieves pain hypersensitivity through suppression of pain-related signaling cascades and reduced inflammatory cell recruitment

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) modulate inflammatory/immune responses and promote motor functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the effects of BMSC transplantation on central neuropathic pain and neuronal hyperexcitability after SCI remain elusive. This is of importance because BMSC-based therapies have been proposed for clinical treatment. We investigated the effects of BMSC transplantation on pain hypersensitivity in green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive bone marrow-chimeric mice subjected to a contusion SCI, and the mechanisms of such effects. BMSC transplantation at day 3 post-SCI improved motor function and relieved SCI-induced hypersensitivities to mechanical and thermal stimulation. The pain improvements were mediated by suppression of protein kinase C-γ and phosphocyclic AMP response element binding protein expression in dorsal horn neurons. BMSC transplants significantly reduced levels of p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK1/2) in both hematogenous macrophages and resident microglia and significantly reduced the infiltration of CD11b and GFP double-positive hematogenous macrophages without decreasing the CD11b-positive and GFP-negative activated spinal-microglia population. BMSC transplants prevented hematogenous macrophages recruitment by restoration of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB), which was associated with decreased levels of (a) inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6); (b) mediators of early secondary vascular pathogenesis (matrix metallopeptidase 9); (c) macrophage recruiting factors (CCL2, CCL5, and CXCL10), but increased levels of a microglial stimulating factor (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor). These findings support the use of BMSC transplants for SCI treatment. Furthermore, they suggest that BMSC reduce neuropathic pain through a variety of related mechanisms that include neuronal sparing and restoration of the disturbed BSCB, mediated through modulation of the activity of spinal-resident microglia and the activity and recruitment of hematogenous macrophages

Early Transplantation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells After Spinal Cord Injury Relieves Pain Hypersensitivity Through Suppression of Pain-Related Signaling Cascades and Reduced Inflammatory Cell Recruitment

This novel study demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cell transplants after spinal cord injury reduce neuropathic pain, giving details of reduced pain signalling pathways affected. The work is essential in the translation of stem cell therapies for CNS regeneration.Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) modulate inflammatory/immune responses and promote motor functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the effects of BMSC transplantation on central neuropathic pain and neuronal hyperexcitability after SCI remain elusive. This is of importance because BMSC-based therapies have been proposed for clinical treatment. We investigated the effects of BMSC transplantation on pain hypersensitivity in green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive bone marrow-chimeric mice subjected to a contusion SCI, and the mechanisms of such effects. BMSC transplantation at day 3 post-SCI improved motor function and relieved SCI-induced hypersensitivities to mechanical and thermal stimulation. The pain improvements were mediated by suppression of protein kinase C-γ and phosphocyclic AMP response element binding protein expression in dorsal horn neurons. BMSC transplants significantly reduced levels of p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK1/2) in both hematogenous macrophages and resident microglia and significantly reduced the infiltration of CD11b and GFP double-positive hematogenous macrophages without decreasing the CD11b-positive and GFP-negative activated spinal-microglia population. BMSC transplants prevented hematogenous macrophages recruitment by restoration of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB), which was associated with decreased levels of (a) inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6); (b) mediators of early secondary vascular pathogenesis (matrix metallopeptidase 9); (c) macrophage recruiting factors (CCL2, CCL5, and CXCL10), but increased levels of a microglial stimulating factor (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor). These findings support the use of BMSC transplants for SCI treatment. Furthermore, they suggest that BMSC reduce neuropathic pain through a variety of related mechanisms that include neuronal sparing and restoration of the disturbed BSCB, mediated through modulation of the activity of spinal-resident microglia and the activity and recruitment of hematogenous macrophages

X-Ray Analysis Literatures 2010

本総説は，2010年に学術雑誌に掲載されたX線分析関連の論文において，注目すべき論文を厳選し紹介する．調査した学術雑誌は19件（和雑誌2件含む）であり，X線分析の発展に寄与しているものを対象としているが，分析化学の分野だけでなく，分光学や物理学の分野も網羅している．各雑誌に関して，X 線分析手法や測定された試料の傾向，分析技術や要素開発に関するトピックスの他に，特筆すべき論文には論評も記している．日本工業規格（JIS）におけるX線分析関連の規格の制定や改訂についてまとめている．X線関連メーカーのウェブサイトを紹介し，掲載している技術レポートの情報も得られる．　In this article, the interesting X-ray analysis-related literatures, which are published on academic journals during the year 2010, are summarized. The number of the researched journals is 19, including two Japanese journals, which contribute the advance of the X-ray analysis in the field not only of analytical chemistry but also of spectroscopy and physics. In every journal, the trend of the X-ray analysis methods and of the measured specimens, the topics of analytical technique and of the developed components of the X-ray analysis apparatus, and the comments for the nortable articles are mentioned. The constitution and revision of standards of X-ray analysis on Japanease Industrial Standard (JIS) are shown. The websites of the company related with X-ray tools or X-ray apparatus are also shown, and the information on technical reports is available

Calibration of the AKARI Far-Infrared Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer

The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) onboard the AKARI satellite has a spectroscopic capability provided by a Fourier transform spectrometer (FIS-FTS). FIS-FTS is the first space-borne imaging FTS dedicated to far-infrared astronomical observations. We describe the calibration process of the FIS-FTS and discuss its accuracy and reliability. The calibration is based on the observational data of bright astronomical sources as well as two instrumental sources. We have compared the FIS-FTS spectra with the spectra obtained from the Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) of the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) having a similar spectral coverage. The present calibration method accurately reproduces the spectra of several solar system objects having a reliable spectral model. Under this condition the relative uncertainty of the calibration of the continuum is estimated to be $\pm$ 15% for SW, $\pm$ 10% for 70-85 cm^(-1) of LW, and $\pm$ 20% for 60-70 cm^(-1) of LW; and the absolute uncertainty is estimated to be +35/-55% for SW, +35/-55% for 70-85 cm^(-1) of LW, and +40/-60% for 60-70 cm^(-1) of LW. These values are confirmed by comparison with theoretical models and previous observations by the ISO/LWS.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure

A RUNX-targeted gene switch-off approach modulates the BIRC5/PIF1-p21 pathway and reduces glioblastoma growth in mice

Glioblastoma is the most common adult brain tumour, representing a high degree of malignancy. Transcription factors such as RUNX1 are believed to be involved in the malignancy of glioblastoma. RUNX1 functions as an oncogene or tumour suppressor gene with diverse target genes. Details of the effects of RUNX1 on the acquisition of malignancy in glioblastoma remain unclear. Here, we show that RUNX1 downregulates p21 by enhancing expressions of BIRC5 and PIF1, conferring anti-apoptotic properties on glioblastoma. A gene switch-off therapy using alkylating agent-conjugated pyrrole-imidazole polyamides, designed to fit the RUNX1 DNA groove, decreased expression levels of BIRC5 and PIF1 and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via p21. The RUNX1-BIRC5/PIF1-p21 pathway appears to reflect refractory characteristics of glioblastoma and thus holds promise as a therapeutic target. RUNX gene switch-off therapy may represent a novel treatment for glioblastoma

Performance of the Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer with Photoconductive Detector Arrays: An Application for the AKARI Far-Infrared Instrument

We have developed an imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) for space-based far-infrared astronomical observations. The FTS employs a newly developed photoconductive detector arrays with a capacitive trans-impedance amplifier, which makes the FTS a completely unique instrument. The FTS was installed as a function of the far-infrared instrument (FIS: Far-Infrared Surveyor) on the Japanese astronomical satellite, AKARI, which was launched on February 21, 2006 (UT) from the Uchinoura Space Center. The FIS-FTS had been operated for more than one year before liquid helium ran out on August 26, 2007. The FIS-FTS was operated nearly six hundreds times, which corresponds to more than one hundred hours of astronomical observations and almost the same amount of time for calibrations. As expected from laboratory measurements, the FIS-FTS performed well and has produced a large set of astronomical data for valuable objects. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that the detector transient effect is a considerable factor for FTSs with photoconductive detectors. In this paper, the instrumentation of the FIS-FTS and interesting phenomena related to FTS using photoconductive detectors are described, and future applications of this kind of FTS system are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in PASJ AKARI special issu