Search

Background Progressed tissue culture techniques have allowed us to easily obtain mass products of tissue-cultured mountain ginseng over 100 yr old (TCMG-100). We investigated the effects of TCMG-100 extract on erectile function using in vitro and in vivo studies. Methods To examine the relaxation effects and mechanisms of action of TCMG-100 on rabbit cavernosal strips evaluated in an organ bath. To investigate the long-term treatment effect of TCMG-100, 8-wk administration was performed. After administration of TCMG-100, intracavernosal pressure, cyclic guanosine monophosphate and nitric oxide (NO) levels of cavernosal tissue, serum testosterone level, histological observation of collagen fiber, endothelium, smooth muscle cell, and transforming growth factor-β1 were investigated. Results TCMG-100 extract displayed dose-dependent relaxation effects on precontracted rabbit corporal smooth muscle. The TCMG-100-induced relaxation was significantly reduced by removing the endothelium, and treatment with an NO synthase inhibitor or NO scavenger. Eight weeks of TCMG-100 administration increased intracavernosal pressure in a rat model. The levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate and NO in the corpus callosum and serum testosterone level were also increased by TCMG-100 treatment. Furthermore, histological evaluation of collagen, smooth muscle, and endothelium showed increases in endothelium and smooth muscle, and a decrease in transforming growth factor-β1 expression. Conclusion These relaxation effects on corporal smooth muscle and increased erectile function suggest that TCMG-100 might be used as an alternative herbal medicine to improve erectile function.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is important for the regulation of a number of cellular responses. Serine/threonine kinase Akt (protein kinase B; PKB) is downstream of PI3K and activated by growth factors. This study found that erythropoietin (EPO) induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Akt in a time- and dose-dependent manner in EPO-dependent human leukemia cell line UT-7/EPO. In vitro kinase assay using histone H2B and glucose synthase kinase as substrates demonstrated that Akt was actually activated by EPO. EPO-induced phosphorylation of Akt was completely blocked by a PI3K-specific inhibitor, LY294002, at 10 μmol/L, indicating that activation of Akt by EPO is dependent on PI3K activity. In addition, overexpression of the constitutively active form of Akt on UT-7/EPO cells partially blocked apoptosis induced by withdrawal of EPO from the culture medium. This finding suggested that the PI3K-Akt activation pathway plays some role in the antiapoptotic effect of EPO. EPO induced phosphorylation of a member of the trancription factor Forkhead family, FKHRL1, at threonine 32 and serine 253 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in UT-7/EPO cells. Moreover, results showed that Akt kinase activated by EPO directly phosphorylated FKHRL1 protein and that FKHRL1 phosphorylation was completely dependent on PI3K activity as is the case for Akt. In conjunction with the evidence that FKHRL1 is expressed in normal human erythroid progenitor cells and erythroblasts, the results suggest that FKHRL1 plays an important role in erythropoiesis as one of the downstream target molecules of PI3K-Akt.

A 7-year analysis of pediatric asthma in Tochigi was performed with the aim of improvement of future treatment.Self-administered questionnaires were completed by pediatric asthma patients and their parents who visited pediatric clinics or hospitals in Tochigi at the same period of year in 2002, 2006, and 2008. Changes in asthma symptoms and in the QOL of the patients and their parents were analyzed. Data on the background and treatment of the patients were obtained from doctors.The questionnaires were answered by 1487, 1058, and 1014 patients or parents in 2002, 2006, and 2008, respectively. The results showed significant increases in the use of ICS and LTRA (p0.001, for each.) and significant decreases in the use of theophylline, DSCG, and LABA (p0.001, for each.). Frequency of wheezing, cough and sputum were significantly reduced in all age groups (p0.01, for each.). There were significant reductions of frequency of wheezing in patients under 2 years old; in wheezing and cough in patients aged 2-5 years old; and in wheezing, cough and sputum in patients aged 6-15 years old (p0.05 for each.). The QOL of the patients and their parents was significantly improved in all age groups (p0.05 for each.).These findings suggest that increased use of anti-inflammatory agents such as LTRA and ICS have contributed to a reduction in asthma symptoms and an improvement in the QOL of the pediatric patients and their parents, but more widespread use of these agents are still needed for residual uncontrolled asthma patients.

The ratio of the peak transmitral velocity during early diastole (E) to the peak mitral valve annular velocity during early diastole (E') obtained by tissue Doppler imaging correlates with the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in adults. However, the E/E' ratio has not been established in normal children. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of age on the various tissue Doppler indices of ventricular diastolic function.The subjects in this study included 174 children with normal cardiac function. The left and right ventricular inflow velocities were recorded, and the peak of late diastolic flow velocities (A), E, and the ratio of E/A were determined. The following tissue Doppler indices were obtained: peak velocities of early and late diastolic mitral annulus in the left ventricular lateral wall (E'l and A'l) and in the interventricular septum (E'se and A'se) and those of the lateral tricuspid annulus in the right ventricle, E'r and A'r.The E'l and the E'se increased with age up to 5 years after birth, after which they became constant. The E'r was constant after birth. The E'l/A'l and E'se/A'se increased with age up to 5 years after birth, after which they became constant. The E'r/A'r was constant after birth. The Em/E'se and Em/E'l decreased with age up to 5 years after birth, after which they became constant. The Et/E'r was constant after birth.The age-related changes suggest age-related alterations in left ventricular diastolic function. Right ventricular diastolic function is constant after birth.

Medical practice after adolescence in child neurology was discussed. Major issues to be solved included; who should play major role in the practice, what medical facilities are available for inpatients, how medical networks are built in the community (especially for disabled patients), and which medical benefits were required to support patients after the cessation of support for childhood disorders. As child neurologists, we must decide whether we need training in adult neurology as an elective course or compulsory. All these considerations have to be solved by child neurologists for the benefit of maturing patients.

We here reported the clinical course and therapeutic details of a 16-year-old girl with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) who had had five stroke-like episodes (two episodes were clinically mild, while the three subsequent episodes were severe). Among the three episodes, the symptoms improved earliest and magnetic resonance spectroscopy abnormality was minimal when given L-arginine in addition to prednisolone, glycerol and edalavone. L-arginine administration during the acute phase of MELAS might be a potential therapy to reduce brain damage due to mitochondrial dysfunction.

A new type of acetylcholine sensor was made with an Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET) and acetylcholine receptor. The acetylcholine receptor was fixed on a polyvinylbutyral membrane which covered the ISFET gate. When acetylcholine was injected into this system, the differential gate output voltage gradually Shifted to the positive side and reached a constant value. This response was due to the positive charge of acetylcholine. A linear relationship was obtained between the initial rate of the differential gate output voltage change and the logarithmic value of the acetylcholine concentration. Acetylcholine was fixed in the range 0.1-10μM. When the acetylcholine receptor was immobilized with the lipid membrane, the response was amplified with both the positive charge of acetylcholine and sodium ion flux through the acetylcholine receptor's channel. Therefore, the difference in the differential voltage between the acetylcholine receptor-ISFET systems with and without the lipid membrane ...

Glucosamine-containing sphingoglycolipids were isolated from sheep erythrocyte membranes, and the presence of glycolipids with long carbohydrate chains was demonstrated. The purification of highly polar glycolipids was achieved by high-performance liquid chromatography of acetylated samples followed by deacetylation with sodium methoxide. Their structures were elucidated by conventional methylation studies, oxidation with chromium trioxide and the direct measurement of permethylated glycolipids by GC-MS. Forssman-active glycolipid2 was a major component of sheep erythrocytes and lacto-N-neotetraosylceramide (LcnOse4Cer) was found to be one of the components. The amount of tetraglycosylceramide was only 5% of that of Forssman-active glycolipid. Three highly polar glycolipid components with ten to twelve carbohydrate residues were also found in sheep erythrocytes.