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In many literature on innovation, it has been proven that the success of innovation is highly influenced by interorganizational collaboration. The purpose of this case is to provide a complete case study on how academic-business-community-government (ABCG) plus bank partnership can be nurtured to create innovation. To develop successful innovation that could provide hallo economy impact, a systematic strategy development is needed with the support of strong partnership between ABCG and banks. This study uses qualitative approach (direct observation) by taking a case study of Technology Advanced Metropolitan Area (TAMA) in Japan who has successfully developed Greater Tokyo Initiative (GTI). Result of this study shows that to develop a successful cluster, there is a need of systematic cluster strategy with the help of ABCG and bank partnership. This strategy should include cultivation of key persons for local industrial vitalization, analysis for new industries, any kind of supports for planning industrial vitalization plan, supports for collaboration with other areas and also overseas marketing. TAMA is a comprehensive example of ABCG collaboration that not only develop regional network so that some projects can run smoothly but also create collaboration with other cluster in Japan and in the world to contribute to global innovations to strengthen their network.

Long-term treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AED) is associated with an elevated risk of bone fracture due to decreased bone mineral density (BMD). Phenytoin has been shown to affect bone metabolism adversely, whereas newly developed AEDs have not been studied. This study evaluated the effects of topiramate and lamotrigine on bone metabolism in rats. Five-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated orally with phenytoin (20 mg/kg), topiramate (5 or 20 mg/kg), or lamotrigine (2 or 10 mg/kg) daily for 12 weeks. Phenytoin reduced bone strength, measured by maximum load to failure of the femoral mid-diaphysis, along with reduced femur total BMD. Serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b levels significantly increased after phenytoin treatment, while serum osteocalcin levels decreased after topiramate 20 mg/kg treatment. Furthermore, osteoblast surface and bone mineralizing surface were significantly lowered by topiramate. Lamotrigine treatment did not affect bone strength, BMD, or bone turnover. We demonstrated that phenytoin treatment significantly increased bone resorption and lowered BMD and bone strength. Since lamotrigine did not affect bone metabolism, it can be concluded that lamotrigine is safety medicine for bone health. Topiramate was associated with decreased bone formation, which may affect bone strength and BMD with chronic use. Thus, patients taking topiramate should be monitored for changes in BMD to avoid risk of fracture.

Long-term treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is accompanied by reduced bone mass that is associated with an increased risk of bone fractures. Although phenytoin has been reported to adversely influence bone metabolism, little is known pertaining to more recent AEDs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of gabapentin or levetiracetam on bone strength, bone mass, and bone turnover in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered phenytoin (20 mg/kg), gabapentin (30 or 150 mg/kg), or levetiracetam (50 or 200 mg/kg) daily for 12 weeks. Bone histomorphometric analysis of the tibia was performed and femoral bone strength was evaluated using a three-point bending method. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur and tibia was measured using quantitative computed tomography. Administration of phenytoin significantly decreased bone strength and BMD, which was associated with enhanced bone resorption. In contrast, treatment with gabapentin (150 mg/kg) significantly decreased bone volume and increased trabecular separation, as shown by bone histomorphometric analysis. Moreover, the bone formation parameters, osteoid volume and mineralizing surface, decreased after gabapentin treatment, whereas the bone resorption parameters, osteoclast surface and number, increased. Levetiracetam treatment did not affect bone strength, bone mass, and bone turnover. Our data suggested that gabapentin induced the rarefaction of cancellous bone, which was associated with decreased bone formation and enhanced bone resorption, and may affect bone strength and BMD after chronic exposure. To prevent the risk of bone fractures, patients prescribed a long-term administration of gabapentin should be regularly monitored for changes in bone mass.

Long-term treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AED) is associated with an elevated risk of bone fracture due to decreased bone mineral density (BMD). Phenytoin has been shown to affect bone metabolism adversely, whereas newly developed AEDs have not been studied. This study evaluated the effects of topiramate and lamotrigine on bone metabolism in rats. Five-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated orally with phenytoin (20 mg/kg), topiramate (5 or 20 mg/kg), or lamotrigine (2 or 10 mg/kg) daily for 12 weeks. Phenytoin reduced bone strength, measured by maximum load to failure of the femoral mid-diaphysis, along with reduced femur total BMD. Serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b levels significantly increased after phenytoin treatment, while serum osteocalcin levels decreased after topiramate 20 mg/kg treatment. Furthermore, osteoblast surface and bone mineralizing surface were significantly lowered by topiramate. Lamotrigine treatment did not affect bone strength, BMD, or bone turnover. We demonstrated that phenytoin treatment significantly increased bone resorption and lowered BMD and bone strength. Since lamotrigine did not affect bone metabolism, it can be concluded that lamotrigine is safety medicine for bone health. Topiramate was associated with decreased bone formation, which may affect bone strength and BMD with chronic use. Thus, patients taking topiramate should be monitored for changes in BMD to avoid risk of fracture.

The involvement of spinal glial cells in the nociceptive behaviors induced by 1600 pmol of histamine was determined in mice. Histamine injected intrathecally (i.t.) produced nociceptive behaviors, consisting of scratching, biting and licking. The nociceptive behaviors induced by histamine were significantly suppressed by i.t. pretreatment with the glial cell inhibitor DL-fluorocitric acid or minocycline. In Western blot analysis using lumber spinal cords, i.t. treatment with histamine increased the phosphorylation of the NR1 subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. The increased phosphorylation of the NR1 subunit of NMDA receptors by histamine was abolished by i.t. pretreatment with DL-fluorocitric acid or minocycline. We have previously reported that the nociceptive behaviors induced by 1600 pmol of histamine were significantly suppressed by the i.t. co-administration of (5R,10 S)-(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5 H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene-5,10-imine (MK-801), an ion channel blocker of NMDA receptors, or agmatine, an antagonist for the polyamine recognition site on the NR1 subunit of NMDA receptors. In the present study, the increased phosphorylation of the NR1 subunit of NMDA receptors by histamine was also abolished by i.t. co-administration of agmatine or MK-801. The present results suggest that histamine at 1600 pmol elicits nociceptive behaviors by stimulating the polyamine recognition site on the NR1 subunit of NMDA receptors on spinal glial cells.

Bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the least popular target for antibiotics, and currently Rifampicin is only an approved drug for clinical use. However, RNAP is essential for bacterial growth and survival, and it can be a promising target for antimicrobial agents. Thus, we decided to search new antimicrobial agents for RNAP by virtual screening. When virtual screenings are performed, certain compounds repeatedly appears on hits covering a wide range of targets (frequently hitters). Also, the performance of hit generation is important factor in success of the virtual screening. Since we previously developed the optimized docking scores, we examined our scoring methods with rigorous removals of frequent hitters. We used two complex structures for RNAP, and also used two unrelated structures as negative controls to remove frequent hitters. Finally, we selected seven high-scored candidates from hits, and two of them showed the inhibition of Gram-positive bacteria by paper disk agar diffusion assay in vivo.

Structure-based virtual screening is gaining popularity in drug discovery. A number of molecular docking programs and scoring functions have been developed in the community, but they had not fulfilled the demands for the improved accuracy, yet. In order to improve the accuracy, the consensus scoring method has been developed. It combines docking scores from various scoring functions without considering characteristics of the docking scores. In this study, we adopted the concepts of the consensus scoring, and improved the docking score from each docking programs, DOCK, FRED or GOLD, for virtual screening. Instead using simple sum of score components in those docking scores, weight factors of the score components were introduced and adjusted for better predictions of active ligands during virtual screening. Several optimization processes were tested to find the best optimization methods of the docking scores using a wide variety of 113 target proteins with over 2000 diverse decoys. Finally, the optimizations improved the chance to discover the active ligands by up to 52.4% (e.g. from 36.8% to 56.1% using GOLD) for the test set. Additionally, the combination of the optimized scores using GOLD and FRED improved success rate in the test set by 77.2%, and approximately 70% of ligands for target proteins were predictable in the test set with 20 times enrichment.

Background: Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) techniques and intrathecal morphine (ITM) are the most widely used treatments for post-Caesarean section pain. We investigated of these two methods on the duration of postoperative 48 h with respect to analgesic quality. Methods: Fourty patients scheduled for elective Caesarean section were randomized to receive for postoperative analgesia either PCEA with containing meperidine or intrathecal morphine 0.2 mg together with the spinal anaesthetic and diclofenac was added as necessary. Postoperative analgesic requirements, quality of analgesia, patients satisfactions, and side effects were evalueted. Results: The addition of diclofenac to the lowest dose of intrathecal morphine appeared to provide nearly equal postoperative analgesia to the PCEA with meperidine during the 48 h study period, because of nausea and vomiting occurred more than patients were slightly lower in patients satisfaction than CSE group. Conclusions: It was concluded that PCEA induced better pain relief, caused less nausea/vomiting than intrathecal morphine.

Zusammenfassung Mannliche Wistar-Ratten, welche mit thiaminfreiem Futter ernahrt wurden, zeigten Gewichtsverlust, Abfall der Herzfrequenz, Urinexkretionsstorungen und Symptome einer Polyneuritis. In dieser Studie wird berichtet, das Dauererektionen bei diesen Ratten vorkommen, das sich diese Erektionen wahrend des Versuchsablaufes fortsetzten, und das die Erektionen nach s.c. Injektion von Thiamin-HCl teilweise schwanden. Eine Ratte in der Thiamin-Mangelgruppe zeigte schon am 20. Versuchstag eine Dauer-erektion, wogegen dieser Effekt in dem Kontrollkollektiv nicht beobachtet wurde. Die Erektion war masig, der Penis ragte ca. 2 mm vor. Am 25. Tag wurde die Erektion deutlicher, das vorragende Penisstuck wurde ca. 5 mm lang. Wichtig ist, das die einmal ausgebildete Erektion wahrend der gesamten Versuchsdauer kontinuierlich anhielt. Am 30. Tag der Thiamin-Mangelfutterung zeigten 7 von 11 Ratten Dauererektionen, auserdem neurologische Erscheinungen wie Kreiselbewegungen und Nackensteife. Das Auftreten der Erektionen nahm standig zu, es betrug am 20. Tag 7%, am 25. Tag 30,7%, am 30. Tag 63,6% und am 33. Tag 100%. In der Thiamin-Mangelgruppe waren die Ratten mit Dauererektion unfahig zu urinieren, ihre Blasen waren vom gestauten Ham stark uberdehnt. Zusatzlich wurde in dieser Gruppe eine deutliche Einschrankung der Harnausscheidung beobachtet.

Previous research has demonstrated that a high dose of histamine (1600 pmol) injected i.t. in mice can evoke nociceptive behaviors consisting of biting/licking along with occasional scratching. The present study was undertaken to examine the involvement of spinal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and histamine H(1) and H(2) receptors in the nociceptive behaviors evoked by high-dose histamine. Co-administration of the histamine H(1) receptor antagonists, d-chlorpheniramine and pyrilamine, or the histamine H(2) receptor antagonists, ranitidine and zolantidine, failed to suppress the histamine-evoked nociceptive behaviors. Moreover, following histamine administration, nociceptive behaviors in histamine H(1) receptor-knockout and histamine H(2) receptor-knockout mice were indistinguishable from those in wild-type mice, suggesting that histamine-induced nociceptive behaviors are not mediated through histamine H(1) and H(2) receptors in the spinal cord. The histamine-induced nociceptive behaviors were inhibited by co-administration of the competitive NMDA receptor antagonists, d-(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (D-APV) and 3-((+)-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPPA), and the ion channel blocker, (5R,10S)-(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801). Co-administration of ifenprodil, an antagonist for both the polyamine site and the NR2B subunit of NMDA receptors, also inhibited the histamine-induced nociceptive behaviors. (R-[R, S])-alpha-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-beta-methyl-4-(phenylmethyl)-1-piperidinepropanol hydrochloride (Ro25-6981), an antagonist of the NMDA receptor subtype containing the NR2B subunit, did not inhibit histamine-induced nociceptive behaviors, whereas these behaviors were attenuated by pretreatment with an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against the mRNA for the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor. Moreover, agmatine and arcaine, antagonists for a polyamine site on the NMDA receptor, inhibited nociceptive behaviors induced by histamine. These results suggest that a polyamine site on spinal NMDA receptors is involved in eliciting the nociceptive behavioral episode following intrathecal injection of histamine.

The microstructural change of the surface and the subsurface regions of a Si single crystal (Si(100)) after scratching tests under very small loading forces was investigated. First, the scratching tests were carried out using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Then, the profiles of those wear traces which were generated by the scratching tests were observed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). TEM observations revealed that dislocations were activated in the sub-surface within less than 100 nm depth from the surface of the wear traces when the loading force was higher than 5 mN. When the loading force was higher than 20 mN, patches of amorphous Si was observed occasionally at the surface of the wear traces. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) observations revealed that a dislocation introduced by the scratching test was a total dislocation with Burgers vector of 1=2h110i. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.MRA2008017]

Structure-based virtual screening is carried out using molecular docking programs. A number of such docking programs are currently available, and the selection of docking program is difficult without knowing the characteristics or performance of each program. In this study, the screening performances of three molecular docking programs, DOCK, AutoDock, and GOLD, were evaluated with 116 target proteins. The screening performances were validated using two novel standards, along with a traditional enrichment rate measurement. For the evaluations, each docking run was repeated 1000 times with three initial conformations of a ligand. While each docking program has some merit over the other docking programs in some aspects, DOCK showed an unexpectedly better screening performance in the enrichment rates. Finally, we made several recommendations based on the evaluation results to enhance the screening performances of the docking programs.

It has been reported that chlorpheniramine, a classical antihistamine, has antidepressant-like effects in animal models of depression. In this study, we examined the involvement of dopaminergic (dopamine D(1) and dopamine D(2) receptors), noradrenergic (alpha(1)- and beta-adrenoceptors) and serotonergic (5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2) receptors) receptors in the antidepressant-like effect of chlorpheniramine in the mouse tail suspension test. We also investigated the involvement of these monoamine receptors in the antidepressant-like effect of imipramine for comparison with the mechanisms of the effect of chlorpheniramine. Both imipramine and chlorpheniramine significantly reduced the duration of immobility in the tail suspension test without affecting spontaneous locomotor activity in mice. The anti-immobility effect of imipramine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) was significantly antagonized by the selective dopamine D(1) receptor antagonist SCH23390 but not by the other receptor antagonists. In contrast, the anti-immobility effect of chlorpheniramine was significantly inhibited by SCH23390 and the selective alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin, but not by the other receptor antagonists. In conclusion, these results suggest that chlorpheniramine exerts an antidepressant-like effect in the mouse tail suspension test that is mediated by at least the activation of dopamine D(1) receptors and alpha(1)-adrenoceptors. In addition, the antidepressant-like effect of chlorpheniramine may be induced by several mechanisms that are different from those involved in the antidepressant-like effect of imipramine.

The 3′ end of a primer is a key component of PCR primer design. Many recommendations for the composition and sequence of the 3′ end have been suggested based on theoretical considerations, but have not been verified experimentally. We analyzed 3′ end triplets of PCR primer sequences obtained from refereed journal articles, to test those recommendations and to make empirical recommendations for primer design. The frequencies of the 64 possible 3′end triplets among 2137 PCR primers from the VirOligo database were not uniformly distributed. From the analysis, we found that unfavored and preferred 3′ end triplets existed, and that the apparent preferences were not due to base compositions in viral genome sequences. Comparison of the sequences preferred by practitioners to those recommended, suggested that no single recommendation is entirely satisfactory. We suggest that recommendations be replaced with a scoring system incorporating empirical frequencies such as those reported here.

KiBank is a database for computer-aided drug design and consists of binding affinities and chemical and target protein structures. Each chemical or protein structure with hydrogen atoms added was optimized by energy minimization and stored in PDB or MDL MOL file format, so that the structural data can be directly used for in silico binding studies. To describe the extent of inhibition, the inhibition constant (Ki) value is used to simplify comparisons of strengths among chemical-protein bindings. As of April 2004, KiBank contained 142 proteins, over 5000 chemicals, and over 6000 binding affinity values that were published in peer-reviewed journals. The binding affinity values are currently mostly for membrane and nuclear receptors but are soon being expanded to other drug targets. KiBank is updated daily and can be accessed on the Web at http://kibank.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/at no charge.

Microarrays of virus-specific oligonucleotides may provide a method of screening samples for the presence or absence of a large variety of viruses simultaneously. Influenza viruses are ideal for evaluating such microarrays because of their genetic and host diversity, and the availability of an extensive sequence database. A collection of 476 influenza virus-specific oligonucleotides was spotted onto glass slides as probes. Viral RNAs were reverse transcribed and amplified by PCR, and the products were labeled with cyanine dyes. The presence of viruses and their identities were determined by hybridization. The fluorescence intensities of oligonucleotide spots were highly reproducible within each slide and satisfactorily proportional between experiments. However, the intensities of probe spots completely complementary to target sequences varied from background to saturation. The variations did not correlate with base composition, nucleotide sequence, or internal secondary structures. Therefore, thresholds for determining whether hybridization to a spot should be judged as positive were assigned individually. Considering only positive spots from probes predicted to be monospecific for influenza virus species, subtype, host source, or gene segment, this method made correct identifications at the species, hemagglutinin subtype, and gene segment levels. Monospecific neuraminidase (NA) subtype probes were insufficiently diverse to allow confident NA subtype assignment. Incorporating positive spots from polyspecific probes into the identification scheme gave similar results. Overall, the results demonstrate the potential of microarray-based oligonucleotide hybridization for multiple virus detection.

Objectives We report a sensitive and selective method for the simultaneous determination of vitamin K1 and K2 analogs (VKs) with high-performance liquid chromatography in which a platinum catalyst reduction column and an electrochemical detector operated in the oxidation mode are incorporated into the detection system. We also applied this trace analysis method to the simultaneous determination of VKs in human serum to investigate the physiologic and pathophysiologic roles of VKs in the bone metabolism. Methods Our high-performance liquid chromatographic method with postcolumn catalyst reduction and electrochemical detection was applied for the simultaneous determination of VKs in human serum samples. After separation of VKs on a reversed-phase separation column by using a mixture of ethanol and methanol (1:1, v/v), containing 0.025 M of sodium perchlorate as the mobile phase, the VKs were reduced once in a platinum catalyst reduction column connected online and then monitored quantitatively by an electrochemical detector with a glassy carbon working electrode operated in the oxidation mode (+0.6 V versus Ag/AgCl). Results VKs were clearly separated from each other within 80 min. The detection limits at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were 2 to 10 pg for VKs. Quantitative recovery from serum was obtained in the range of 86% to 91% for VKs. The average coefficients of variation of within-day and between-day assays were 1.6% to 2.1% and 2.4% to 3.6%, respectively, for all VKs. Conclusions This method was sensitive and selective for detection of VKs and was satisfactory in the simultaneous determination of VKs in small volumes of human serum.

Objective: We investigated the effects of phenytoin, an antiepileptic drug, and vitamin K2 (menatetrenone) on bone mineral density and the changes in the levels of menaquinone derivatives (MK-1 ∼ MK-14) in the sera and femurs of growing male rats. Methods: Levels of menaquinone derivatives were measured with high-performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector. Results: Bone mineral density values decreased significantly in all parts of the femoral bones measured (diaphysis and metaphysis) in the phenytoin-treated group. When the serum and bone levels of menatetrenone and MK-6 decreased due to phenytoin administration, we observed bone loss in rats. Conversely, when bone loss was prevented by the combined administration of phenytoin and menatetrenone, serum and bone levels of menatetrenone and MK-6 increased to the levels of vehicle-treated rats. Conclusions: Long-term phenytoin exposure may inhibit bone formation concomitantly with insufficient vitamin K, which, at least in part, contributes to bone loss in rats.

We investigated the effects of chronic administration of zonisamide, an antiepileptic agent, on bone metabolism in growing rats. Administration of zonisamide at a dose of 80 mg/kg per day, s.c. for 5 weeks significantly decreased bone mineral density (BMD) at the tibial metaphysis and the diaphysis. The percent rate of decrease in BMD at the tibial metaphysis and the tibial diaphysis was 9.2% and 5.0%, respectively. There was no significant difference between these groups in the growth of the rats. Treatment with zonisamide at a dose of 80 mg/kg increased serum pyridinoline level, a marker of bone resorption, while it does not affect the serum intact osteocalcin level, a marker of bone formation. Combined administration of alfacalcidol, an active vitamin D(3) metabolite, at a dose of 0.1 microg/kg per day with zonisamide prevented a decrease in BMD and showed an increase of serum pyridinoline levels. These results suggest that zonisamide may cause bone loss by accelerating bone resorption rather than inhibiting bone formation. Moreover, the bone loss induced by zonisamide could be prevented by combining zonisamide with alfacalcidol.

Triple therapy (proton pump inhibitor + amoxicilln + clarithromycin) for one week is considered to be thecommon eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.The H. pylori eradication rate has been reported to be 87. 5% after the administration of sodium rabeprazole, which is a proton pump inhibitor, along with two antibiotic drugs for one week [H. Miwa et al., Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther., 13, 741-746 (1999)] We performed a retrospective study to evaluate the treatment of 42 patients with H. pylori infection by the administration of sodium rabeprazole with two antibiotic drugs for a twoweek period. As a result, the H. pylori eradication rate was 93 % (39 of 42 patients). A successful healing of thepeptic ulcer with H. pylon was observed in all 39 patients. Side effects such as mild diarrhea appeared in onlyone patient. The triple therapy with sodium rabeprazole, amoxycillin, and clarithromycin for two weeks wastherefore found to be sufficiently effective in healing peptic ulcers with an H. pylori infection.

Intrathecal injection of histamine elicited a behavioral response consisting of scratching, biting and licking in conscious mice. Here, we have examined the involvement of substance P (SP) by using intrathecal injection of tachykinin neurokinin (NK)(1) receptor antagonists and SP antiserum. Histamine-induced behavioral response was evoked significantly 5-10 min after intrathecal injection and reached a maximum at 10-15 min. Dose-dependency of the induced response showed a bell-shaped pattern from 200 to 3200 pmol, and maximum effect was observed at 800-1000 pmol. The H(1) receptor antagonist, d-chlorpheniramine and pyrilamine but not the H(2) receptor antagonists, ranitidine and zolantidine, inhibited histamine-induced behavioral response. The NK(1) receptor antagonists, CP-99,994, RP-67580 and sendide, inhibited histamine-induced behavioral response in a dose-dependent manner. A significant antagonistic effect of [D-Phe(7), D-His(9)]SP (6-11), a selective antagonist for SP receptors, was observed against histamine-induced response. The NK(2) receptor antagonist, MEN-10376, had no effect on the response elicited by histamine. Pretreatment with SP antiserum resulted in a significant reduction of the response to histamine. No significant reduction of histamine-induced response was detected in mice pretreated with NK A antiserum. The present results suggest that elicitation of scratching, biting and licking behavior induced by intrathecal injection of histamine may be largely mediated by NK(1) receptors via H(1) receptors in the spinal cord.

To examine the effect of cocaine on the brain histamine neuron system, histamine levels and histamine N-methyltransferase activity in the rat brain were measured after the administration of cocaine. Moreover, we examined the effect of L-histidine on cocaine-induced wheel-running behavior. The administration of cocaine (20 mg/kg) increased histamine levels and histamine N-methyltransferase activity in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, and amygdala 1 h later. The pretreatment with L-histidine (350 and 700 mg/kg) inhibited the cocaine (20 mg/ kg)-induced increase of wheel-running activity in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that cocaine activates the brain histamine neuron system, which may play the role of inhibiting the cocaine-induced wheel-running behavior.

The antinociceptive effects of pinacidil, an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive K(+)i (K(ATP)) channel opener, were examined using the tail-flick test in non-diabetic and diabetic mice. Pinacidil i.c.v. produced dose-dependent antinociception in both non-diabetic and diabetic mice. There was no significant difference between the antinociceptive effect of i.c.v. pinacidil in non-diabetic mice and diabetic mice. The i.t. administration of pinacidil also produced dose-dependent antinociception in both non-diabetic and diabetic mice, however, the antinociceptive effect of i.t. pinacidil in diabetic mice was significantly greater than that in non-diabetic mice. The antinociceptive effect of i.c.v. or i.t. pinacidil was significantly antagonized by i.c.v. or i.t. glibenclamide, a K(ATP) channel blocker in both non-diabetic and diabetic mice. In non-diabetic mice, the antinociceptive effect of i.c.v. or i.t. administration of pinacidil was significantly antagonized by beta-funaltrexamine, a mu-opioid receptor antagonist, 7-benzylidenenaltrexone, a delta1-opioid receptor antagonist, naltriben, a delta2-opioid receptor antagonist, and nor-binaltorphimine, a kappa-opioid receptor antagonist. In diabetic mice, the antinociceptive effect of i.c.v. pinacidil was significantly reduced by 7-benzylidenenaltrexone, naltriben, and nor-binaltorphimine. However, beta-funaltrexamine had no effect on antinociception induced by i.c.v. pinacidil in diabetic mice. On the other hand, the antinociceptive effect of i.t. pinacidil was significantly antagonized by beta-funaltrexamine, 7-benzylidenenaltrexone, naltriben, and nor-binaltorphimine in diabetic mice. These results indicated that pinacidil produced antinociception through the release of opioid peptides acting at mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptors in surpraspinal and spinal cord of non-diabetic mice. On the other hand, in diabetic mice, the antinociception-induced by pinacidil was mediated through the release of opioid peptides acting at delta- and kappa-opioid receptors supraspinally, whereas pinacidil produced antinociception through the release of opioid peptides acting at mu-, delta-, and kappa-opioid receptors spinally.

In this study, we investigated 1) whether the administration of phenytoin induced bone loss; and 2) whether menatetrenone could prevent bone loss induced by phenytoin. For this purpose, we previously developed a procedure to measure the bone mineral density using a conventional X-ray absorptiometry method. A long-termed administration of phenytoin (20 mg/kg per day for 5 weeks) produced bone loss in the tibiae of growing rats. The values of bone mineral density (BMD) were significantly decreased in the tibial diaphysis and metaphysis in the phenytoin-treated group. In this period, we measured the serum level of vitamin K-dependent protein, osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation. The serum level of osteocalcin showed a decrease in the phenytoin-treated group compared with the vehicle-treated group. Combined administration of menatetrenone (30 mg/kg in diet per day) with phenytoin for 5 weeks prevented the reduction of BMD, and the level of osteocalcin was slightly increased. Thus, it is suggested that long-termed phenytoin exposure may inhibit bone formation concomitantly with insufficient vitamin K, which, at least in part, contributed to bone loss in rats. Finally, these findings implicated the therapeutic usefulness of menatetrenone on a moderate degree of bone abnormality such as drug-induced osteopenia.

Intrathecal (i.t.) injection of histamine elicited a significant hyperalgesic response as assayed by the tail-flick test. This hyperalgesic effect peaked at 15 min following i.t. administration of histamine (800 pmol) and returned to control level with 30 min. Hyperalgesia produced by histamine was inhibited dose-dependently by i.t. co-administration of the histamine H1 receptor antagonist, d-chlorpheniramine, but not the histamine H2 receptor antagonist, ranitidine. The tachykinin NK1 receptor antagonists, (+)-[(2S,3S)-3-(2-methoxy-benzyl-amino)-2-phenylpiperidine] (CP-99,994), and [Tyr6, d -Phe7, d -His9]substance P-(6–11) (sendide), inhibited histamine-induced hyperalgesic response in a dose-dependent manner. A significant antagonistic effect of [ d -Phe7, d -His9]substance P-(6–11), a selective antagonist for substance P receptors, was observed against histamine-induced hyperalgesic response. The tachykinin NK2 receptor antagonist, Asp-Tyr- d -Trp-Val- d -Trp- d -Trp-Lys-NH2 (MEN-10,376), had no effect on hyperalgesia elicited by histamine. The competitive N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, and d -(−)-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid ( d -APV), (±)-3-(2-carboxypiperazin-yl)propyl-1-phosphoric acid (CPP), the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801), and l -NG-nitro arginine methyl ester ( l -NAME), a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, markedly inhibited histamine-induced hyperalgesic response. The present results suggest that hyperalgesic response induced by i.t. injection of histamine may be mediated by tachykinin NK1 receptors, but not NK2 receptors in the spinal cord. In addition, spinal NMDA receptor–NO system may also contribute to elicitation of hyperalgesia following i.t. injection of histamine.

We investigated whether inhaled pinacidil and moguisteine inhibit capsaicin-induced coughs in guinea pigs. Inhaled pinacidil (15 - 60 microg/ml), an ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener, and moguisteine (15 - 60 microg/ml) each dose-dependently inhibited the number of capsaicin-induced coughs. The antitussive effects of pinacidil and moguisteine were significantly antagonized by pretreatment with glibenclamide (10 mg/kg, i.p.), an ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker. However, pretreatment with naloxone methiodide (10 mg/kg, s.c.) had no significant effect on the antitussive effects of either pinacidil or moguisteine. On the other hand, inhaled dihydrocodeine (15 - 60 microg/ml) also dose-dependently suppressed the number of capsaicin-induced coughs. The antitussive effect of inhaled dihydrocodeine was significantly antagonized by pretreatment with naloxone methiodide (10 mg/kg, s.c.), but not by glibenclamide (10 mg/kg, i.p.). These results indicate that inhaled pinacidil and moguisteine both attenuate capsaicin-induced coughs. Pinacidil and moguisteine may exert their antitussive effects through the activation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the tracheobronchial tract. Furthermore, it is possible that ATP-sensitive K+ channels may be involved in the antitussive effects of peripherally acting non-narcotic antitussive drugs.

Bridge TechnologyTM is an amplification technique in which pairs of primers are immobilized on a solid support, allowing amplification only at the location of the primer pair spot. The technique has diagnostic potential since an array of primer pairs, each specific for a different pathogen, can be used with a diagnostic sample without inter—pair interactions that plague the development of multiplex PCRs. As a result, one assay should be able to determine which of multiple pathogens are present and which are absent in each sample. As test material, we examined the specificity of detection of the RNA-containing bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and two DNA-containing bovine herpesviruses 1 and 2 (BHV-1 and BHV-2). Nylon membranes with two spots of UV-immobilized primer pairs–one for BVDV and one for BHV—were used in amplification with both corresponding templates, with each template singly and with no template. When amplification was assayed by chemiluminescent detection of incorporated DIG-nucleotides, the expected amplification patterns were obtained.

We investigated the induction of metallothionein (MT) by cadmium (Cd) in the bone tissue of rats. To clarify the cell response to Cd in bone, the isoform-specific expression of MT mRNAs (MT-I and MT-II) was examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Both MT-I and MT-II mRNA levels were increased within 3 h by Cd administration. MT (MT-I/MT-II) localization after single Cd injection were also confirmed by immunohistochemical studies. Notably, MT-positive cells were time-dependently increased, and the positive cells were mainly localized in osteocytes. The cell-specific induction of MT may be associated with Cd accumulation and Cd-induced bone injury in vivo. Furthermore, we also found that MT was consecutively expressed in some osteoclasts of control rats. This finding suggested a new role of osteoclasts in bone metabolism.

Studies were carried out to determine the effects and mechanism of action of phenytoin on the bone metabolism in male rats. Administration of phenytoin, 20 mg/kg/ day for 5 weeks, did not affect the growth curve. Biochemical data indicated that the serum osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation, was decreased significantly but there were no significant differences in the levels of serum calcium, pyridinoline, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the phenytoin-treated group compared with the vehicle-treated group. The values of bone mineral density (BMD) were decreased in all regions of bones tested (mandibular head, tibial metaphysis, tibial diaphysis, femoral metaphysis, and femoral diaphysis) in the phenytoin-treated group. In histomorphometric analysis, phenytoin decreased trabecular bone volume and trabecular thickness, and increased osteoclast numbers per area of bone surface in the secondary trabecular bone of the tibia. Additionally, there was no significant difference in osteoid thickness. Combined administration of either alfacalcidol or calcitriol with phenytoin for 5 weeks prevented the reduction of BMD induced by phenytoin. From these findings, it is unlikely that toxic effects on the growth curve caused the decreased BMD induced by phenytoin. It is also evident that repeated administration of phenytoin may cause osteopenia which may be due to bone loss by inhibiting bone formation and/or by accelerating bone resorption rather than osteoid accumulation. The bone loss is not rachitic because of the lack of increase in osteoid thickness. Moreover, combined administration of alfacalcidol or calcitriol with phenytoin showed a preventative effect against bone loss. The bone loss induced by phenytoin in this study may be a convenient model for further research into the problem of drug-induced osteopenia.

The antinociceptive effect of vitamin K2 (menatetrenone) in mice was examined using tail-flick and formalin test. Menatetrenone at doses of 10, 50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p. produced a dose-dependent and significant inhibition of the tail-flick response in mice. Menatetrenone (50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) had no significant effect on the duration of the first phase of the formalin-induced flinching. However, menatetrenone (100 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly inhibited the second phase of the formalin-induced flinching. I.p. administration of menatetrenone (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the duration of nociceptive responses induced by i.t. injection of bradykinin, but not of substance P, prostaglandin E2 or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). These present data suggest that i.p. pretreatment with menatetrenone produced dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in mice. This effect may be, at least in part, mediated by the inhibition of bradykinin dependent nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord.

We examined the effects of repeated exposure to forced walking stress for 6 h once a day for 0, 6 and 9 consecutive days on formalin-induced paw licking in mice. In each observation period, stress-induced antinociception (SIA) was observed only in the late phase (from 10 to 30 min), but not in the early phase (from 0 to 10 min) of formalin-induced paw licking in mice. Moreover, it was hard to develop tolerance even by daily exposure to stress for 6 days, although SIA for 9 days decreased compared with those for 0 and 6 days. Naloxone (10 mg/kg), an opioid-receptor antagonist, was effective in reducing the SIA induced by forced walking stress for 6 days and/or 9 days, but not for 0 days. Furthermore, the experiments with selective opioid-receptor antagonists, beta-funaltrexamine (mu) naltrindol (delta), or nor-binaltorphimine (kappa) demonstrated that SIA induced by forced walking stress for 9 successive days may be mediated through opioid delta- and kappa-receptors. Finally, although SIA seemed to be a unitary phenomenon, the present results strengthened the idea that SIA is induced by exposure to forced walking stress with characteristics dependent on the duration of exposure.

According to the "Guideline for Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma" established by the Japanese Society of Allergy in 1998, inhaled adrenergic beta 2 agonists and inhaled corticosteroids are recommended for treatment of asthma. Thereafter, the development of new drugs for the treatment of asthma has begun changing. The concepts upon which the development of investigational drugs for asthma are based include improvements of drug delivery systems (ease of use, long-acting preparations, fewer side-effects), device design and appropriate auxiliary instrumentation. Moreover, chronic asthma has come to be recognized as an inflammatory disease of airway mucosa. At present, various antiallergic compounds such as tachykinin, leucotrien, PAF antagonists and others are under investigation thanks to the identification of new chemical mediators of airway inflammation and studies have progressed to the synthesis and manufacturing of new pharmaceuticals with antagonistic action. Thus, this review classified and introduced various new investigational anti-asthma and further describes the structure-activity relationships of beta 2 agonists and inhaled corticosteroids.

To investigate the physiological roles of vitamin K analogues in bone metabolism, especially in osteoporosis, we have developed a sensitive and simple analysis system for vitamin K analogues in the serum and bone. After the separation of vitamin K analogues on a reversed-phase column, the analogues were reduced once in a platinum catalyst reduction column on-line and then monitored quantitatively by electrochemical detector (EICOM ECD-300) operated in the oxidation mode (+0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl). The detection limits at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were 2-10 pg for vitamin K analogues. We also investigated the extraction procedures for the vitamin K analogues from serum and bone. Quantitative recoveries from serum and bone were obtained in the range of 80-101% for vitamin K analogues. We could determine both the circulating vitamin K levels in osteoporotic patients and the vitamin K contents in trabecular and cortical bone of osteoarthritis.

1. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of NIK-247 on muscarinic receptor subtypes with that of tacrine (THA) in rats. 2. NIK-247 and tacrine dose dependently inhibited the binding of [3H]pirenzepine (M1), [3H]AF-DX 384 (M2), and [3H]4-DAMP (M3). The IC50 values for NIK-247 were 4.4 x 10(-6) M, 1.1 x 10(-5) M, and 1.5 x 10(-5) M, respectively, whereas those for tacrine were 5.8 x 10(-7) M, 2.0 x 10(-6) M, and 5.8 x 10(-6) M, respectively. 3. Gpp[NH]p, a GTP analogue, slightly shifted the curve of displacement of [3H]AF-DX. 384 binding for NIK-247 to the right. However, Gpp[NH]p did not shift the curve of displacement of [3H]pirenzepine and [3H]4-DAMP binding to the right. 4. NIK-247 moderately decreased the rate of beating in right atrial preparations, but did not decrease it below 50% of control level. 5. These findings indicate that NIK-247 is an M1 antagonist, M2 partial agonist, and M3 antagonist.