Laughter up-regulates the genes related to NK cell activity in diabetes

To elucidate the sustainable effects of laughter on gene expression, we recruited type 2 diabetic patients who were in-patient for receiving self-management education and examined time-dependent regulation for gene expression by laughter. Two-day experiment was performed. On one day, the patients watched comic video and laughed together with hospital staffs. On the other day, they participated in an inpatient diabetes educational program. Blood samples were collected before and 1.5, 4 h after watching comic video or spending lecture time, and changes in gene expression were comprehensively analyzed by microarray technique. Of the 41,000 genes analyzed, the laughter relatively up-regulated 39 genes, among which, 27 genes were relatively increased in the expression for all the observation period after watching comic video. By functional classification of these genes, 14 genes were found to be related to natural killer cell activity. No genes were included that are directly involved in blood glucose regulation, though successive suppression of postprandial blood glucose levels was observed. These results suggest that the laughter influences the expression of many genes classified into immune responses, and may contribute to amelioration of postprandial blood glucose elevation through a modulation of NK cell activity caused by up-regulation of relating genes.     

Effectiveness of proliferating tissues in combination with bovine-derived xenografts to intrabony defects of alveolar bone in dogs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of proliferating tissue used in combination with bovine-derived xenograft (BDX) on the formation of new cementum and bone in dogs. Intrabony defects were treated with either BDX in conjunction with autogenous proliferating tissues (BDXplus-proliferating tissues: BDX-P group) or BDX alone (BDX-alone group). The control group received no BDX or proliferating tissues. The animals were sacrificed after 2, 4, and 8 weeks of the treatment, and tissues were histologically examined. Specimens from the control group were characterized by long junctional epithelium and little bone formation. The BDX-P group showed a statistically significant increase in new bone and cementum formation compared to the BDX-alone group (30.9% vs. 18.7, p < 0.01 and 87.8% vs. 61.8, p < 0.01). The ratio of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells in the newly formed connective tissue of the BDX-P group was significantly greater than that in the BDX-alone group. These findings suggest that the use of proliferating tissues in combination with BDX enhances new bone and cementum formation, offering potential as therapeutic material in periodontal regeneration.     

Indirect activation of pregnane X receptor in the induction of hepatic CYP3A11 by high-dose rifampicin in mice

Rifampicin (RIF), a typical ligand of human pregnane X receptor (PXR), powerfully induces the expression of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in humans. Although it is thought that RIF is not a ligand of rodent PXR, treatment with high-dose RIF (e.g. more than 20?mg/kg) increases the expression of CYP3A in the mouse liver. In this study, we investigated whether the induction of CYP3A by high-dose RIF in the mouse liver is mediated via indirect activation of mouse PXR (mPXR). The results showed that high-dose RIF increased the expression of CYP3A11 and other PXR-target genes in the liver of wild-type mice but not PXR-knockout mice. However, the results of reporter gene and ligand-dependent assembly assays showed that RIF does not activate mPXR in a ligand-dependent manner. In addition, high-dose RIF stimulated nuclear accumulation of mPXR in the mouse liver, and geldanamycin and okadaic acid attenuated the induction of Cyp3a11 and other PXR-target genes in primary hepatocytes, suggesting that high-dose RIF triggers nuclear translocation of mPXR. In conclusion, the present study suggests that high-dose RIF stimulates nuclear translocation of mPXR in the liver of mice by indirect activation, resulting in the transactivation of Cyp3a11 and other PXR-target genes.     

Toward providing individualized educational support for children with Asperger's disorder

In the present study, I examined educational support for children with Asperger' s disorder. From the viewpoint of individualized support and class-wide management, means of some effective educational support in regular education classroom was introduced. In the practice of individualized support, importance of the case meeting where teachers and parents participated in was pointed out. In addition, it was necessary to make support tools to realize effective support. On the other hand, in the practice of class-wide management, guidance of making human relations between children was one of the top priority problems.     

New combined anteversion technique in hybrid THA: cup-first procedure with CT-based navigation

European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology - Combined anteversion (CA) technique (stem-first procedure) is generally accepted as the optimal technique to attain an appropriate CA...     

Alteration of choroidal vascular structure in diabetic macular edema

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - The aim of this study was to analyze choroidal structures in healthy subjects and patients with/without diabetic macular edema...