Antinociception by fluoro-loxoprofen, a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with less ulcerogenic effects, in rat models of inflammatory pain

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the treatment of inflammatory pain is limited by gastrointestinal complications. The rapid action of NSAIDs is associated with better pain relief. Previously, we demonstrated that fluoro-loxoprofen, a novel NSAID, has less ulcerogenic potential than other NSAIDs, attributable to its gastroprotective properties. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of fluoro-loxoprofen on inflammatory pain in rats with those of other NSAIDs. Oral administration of fluoro-loxoprofen, loxoprofen, and celecoxib resulted in equivalent analgesic action against yeast-induced inflammatory pain. The antinociceptive effect of fluoro-loxoprofen was maximized within 1 h after administration, which is less time than that observed for loxoprofen (2 h) and celecoxib (3 h). We confirmed that both fluoro-loxoprofen and loxoprofen suppressed the increases in prostaglandin E₂ in inflamed paws. In addition to yeast-induced pain, fluoro-loxoprofen produced a similar effect against adjuvant-induced inflammatory pain, with faster peak analgesic effects than those observed for loxoprofen and celecoxib. Taken together, these results suggest that the analgesic effect of fluoro-loxoprofen is equivalent to that of loxoprofen and celecoxib. Moreover, the analgesic effect of fluoro-loxoprofen against inflammatory pain was more rapid than that of other NSAIDs, and this may be associated with its rapid absorption property.

Pressure-induced stacking disorder in boehmite

The structure of an aluminum layered hydroxide, boehmite (γ-AlOOH), as a function of pressure was studied by using in situ synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction. Peak broadening, which is only found for hkl (h ≠ 0) peaks in the X-ray diffraction patterns, is explained by stacking disorder accompanying a continuously increasing displacement of the AlO6 octahedral layer along the a-axis. This finding could be the first experimental result for pressure-induced stacking disorder driven by continuous layer displacement. The magnitude of the layer displacement was estimated from the X-ray scattering profile calculation based on the stacking disordered structure model. Hydrogen bond geometries of boehmite, obtained by structure refinements of the observed neutron diffraction patterns for the deuterated sample up to 10 GPa, show linearly approaching O-D covalent and DO hydrogen bond distances and they merge below 26 GPa. Pressure-induced stacking disorder makes the electrostatic potential of hydrogen bonds asymmetric, yielding less chance for proton-tunnelling.

Physiological characterization of leaf and internode after bud break in Japanese indigenous Koshu grape by comparative RNA sequencing analysis

Koshu is indigenous to Japan and considered the most important wine grape in Japan. Koshu grape berry possesses characteristics that make it unique from European V. vinifera as wine grape. However, the physiological characteristics of Koshu leaf and internode remain unknown. An understanding of those characteristics would contribute to improvements in Koshu cultivation, thereby enhancing grape berry and wine quality. To identify the genes responsible for the physiological characteristics of Koshu, we comprehensively analyzed leaf and internode differences at the transcriptome level between Koshu and Pinot Noir by RNA sequencing. A total of 248 and 131 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in leaves and internodes, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of these DEGs revealed that "flavonoid biosynthesis" and "glutathione metabolism" pathways were significantly enriched in Koshu leaves. On the other hand, when internodes were compared, "flavonoid"-related GO terms were specifically detected in Koshu. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that the expression of such genes as leucoanthocyanidin reductase and flavonol synthase in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway was higher in Koshu than Pinot Noir. Measurement of the relative expression levels of these genes by RT-qPCR validated the results obtained by RNA sequencing. The characteristics of Koshu leaf and internode, which are expected to produce flavonoids with antibacterial activity and UV protection function, would suit Japanese climate as a survival strategy.

Influence of food on the gastric motor effect of the Kampo medicine rikkunshito in rat

BACKGROUND

Rikkunshito, one of the Kampo medicines, is widely prescribed as a remedy for various upper gastrointestinal syndromes. The effect of rikkunshito is related to endogenous ghrelin and its active ingredient atractylodin enhances ghrelin receptor signaling. Kampo medicines are traditionally administered before or between meals; however, no definitive benefit of the timing of administration has been proven yet. To clarify the influence of food on the pharmacological action of rikkunshito, we investigated the gastric motor activity and pharmacokinetic profiles of atractylodin after the administration of rikkunshito in fasted and fed rats.

METHODS

Phase III-like contractions in the gastric antrum after an injection of ghrelin were measured using a strain gauge force transducer. Rikkunshito was administered to rats during fasting or after a nutrient test meal. Ghrelin was injected 30 minutes later and gastric motility was evaluated. Furthermore, after rikkunshito administration, the pharmacokinetic profiles of atractylodin in the plasma and brain of fasted and free-fed rats were assessed.

KEY RESULTS

Rikkunshito administration potentiated ghrelin-induced phase III-like contractions under fasting conditions. This effect was attenuated in animals fed a test meal. Atractylodin was detected pharmacokinetically in the plasma and brain after rikkunshito administration in rats, and free-fed rats exhibited a decreased maximum concentration of plasma atractylodin and a delayed time to reach the maximum concentration.

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

We show that the pharmacological action of rikkunshito is influenced by food in rats. The efficacy of rikkunshito may be associated with decreased absorption of its active ingredient atractylodin when food is in the stomach.

Conjunctival Displacement to the Corneal Side for Oblique-Parallel Insertion in 25-Gauge Vitrectomy

Purpose

To assess the usefulness of the method of oblique-parallel trocar insertion with conjunctival displacement to the corneal side in 25-gauge (G) transconjunctival vitrectomy.

Methods

25-G vitrectomy was performed in 77 consecutive eyes. Before making oblique-parallel trocar insertions, the conjunctiva was conventionally displaced superiorly in 35 eyes, but was displaced toward the corneal side in 42 eyes. After surgery, the distance between the scleral and conjunctival wounds was measured with calipers. The frequency of scleral wound exposure was assessed.

Results

After cannula removal at the end of surgery, inferior repositioning of the superiorly displaced conjunctiva was observed, while marked posterior repositioning of the corneal side caused displacement of the conjunctiva due to gravity. The superior displacement distances between the sclera and conjunctival wounds were 2.4±0.3 mm at the infusion port, 2.0±0.4 mm at the superior temporal port, and 1.9±0.4 mm at the superior nasal port, while the corresponding distances for corneal side displacement were 3.6±0.5, 3.5±0.5, and 2.5±0.5 mm, and were all significantly (p<0.0001) greater with corneal side displacement. The frequency of scleral wound exposure due to conjunctival damage around the cannula (infusion port) was significantly (p=0.0164) lower for corneal side displacement (0/42; 16.7%) than superior displacement (5/35; 14.3%). There was no postoperative endophthalmitis in all 77 patients studied.

Conclusions

In 25-G transconjunctival vitrectomy, using oblique-parallel trocar insertions with the conjunctiva displaced toward the corneal side results in marked posterior repositioning of the conjunctiva after cannula extraction. Corneal side conjunctival displacement is technically easy and completely covers the scleral wound. This method is expected to be effective in preventing endophthalmitis.

Evidence for Spin Singlet Pairing with Strong Uniaxial Anisotropy in URu_{2}Si_{2} Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

In order to identify the spin contribution to superconducting pairing compatible with the so-called "hidden order", ^{29}Si nuclear magnetic resonance measurements have been performed using a high-quality single crystal of URu_{2}Si_{2}. A clear reduction of the ^{29}Si Knight shift in the superconducting state has been observed under a magnetic field applied along the crystalline c axis, corresponding to the magnetic easy axis. These results provide direct evidence for the formation of spin-singlet Cooper pairs. Consequently, results indicating a very tiny change of the in-plane Knight shift reported previously demonstrate extreme uniaxial anisotropy for the spin susceptibility in the hidden order state.

Vanillylacetone up-regulates anthocyanin accumulation and expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes by inducing endogenous abscisic acid in grapevine tissues

We investigated the effect of vanillylacetone (VA) on anthocyanin accumulation with aim of improving grape berry coloration. Spraying Vitis vinifera cv. Muscat Bailey A berries with VA at veraison increased sugar/acid ratio, an indicator of maturation and total anthocyanin accumulation. To elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of VA on anthocyanin accumulation, in vitro VA treatment of a grapevine cell culture was carried out. Endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) content was higher in the VA-treated cell cultures than in control at 3h after treatment. Consistent with this, the relative expression levels of anthocyanin-synthesis-related genes, including DFR, LDOX, MybA1 and UFGT, in VA-treated cell cultures were much higher than those in control, and high total anthocyanin accumulation was noted in the VA-treated cell cultures as well. These results suggest that VA up-regulates the expression of genes leading to anthocyanin accumulation by inducing endogenous ABA. In addition, VA increased total anthocyanin content in a dose-dependent manner. Although VA treatment in combination with exogenous ABA did not exhibit any synergistic effect, treatment with VA alone showed an equivalent effect to that with exogenous ABA alone on total anthocyanin accumulation. These findings point to the possibility of using VA for improving grape berry coloration.

High Constitutive Overexpression of Glycosyl Hydrolase Family 17 Delays Floral Transition by Enhancing FLC Expression in Transgenic Arabidopsis

Vitis vinifera glycosyl hydrolase family 17 (VvGHF17) is a grape apoplasmic β-1,3-glucanase, which belongs to glycosyl hydrolase family 17 in grapevines. β-1,3-glucanase is not only involved in plant defense response but also has various physiological functions in plants. Although VvGHF17 expression is negatively related to the length of inflorescence in grapevines, the physiological functions of VvGHF17 are still uncertain. To clarify the physiological functions of VvGHF17, we conducted a phenotypic analysis of VvGHF17-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants. VvGHF17-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants showed short inflorescence, similar to grapevines. These results suggested that VvGHF17 might negatively regulate the length of inflorescence in plants. VvGHF17 expression induced a delay of floral transition in Arabidopsis plants. The expression level of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), known as a floral repressor gene, in inflorescence meristem of transgenic plants were increased by approximately 10-fold as compared with wild plants. These results suggest that VvGHF17 induces a delay of floral transition by enhancing FLC expression and concomitantly decreases the length of plant inflorescence.

Selective extraction of Pd(ii) by p-tert-butylcalix[4]arenedicarboxylic acid

p-tert-Butylcalix[4]arenedicarboxylic acid, in which two distal hydroxy groups of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene are replaced with carboxy groups, shows extraction selectivity toward Pd²⁺ ions by the formation of a 2 : 2 (M/L) complex.

Quantitative assessment of provability of radiation-related cancers considering unavoidable existence of unadjusted risk factors

The attribution of stochastic effects to exposure to ionizing radiation has been qualitatively discussed by introducing two distinct concepts of provability and probability. This study aims to develop a method of quantitatively assessing the provability of radiation-related cancers. To this end, the 'minimum provable dose' (MPD) was developed and applied to actual cancer mortality in Japan. The background lifetime risk of cancer mortality was calculated for the esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, lungs, skin, breasts, ovaries, bladder, and bone marrow as well as the age-specific risk coefficients reproducing those given in the 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Comparing the relative ratio of MPDs, which was defined herein as the 'provability index' (PI), we quantitatively ranked radiation-related cancers for different tissues and organs predicated on provability for ages of 10, 30, 50, and 0-85+  years at exposure. We discuss the radiological protection of male emergency workers focusing on cancers highly prioritized according to the ranking (i.e. colon, bone marrow, and bladder). The present study proposed the system to quantitatively evaluate the level of radiological protection taking into account the variations of the background cancer risk on the provability of radiation-related cancers.

Experimental Evaluation of the Anchoring Efficiency of Bone Cement under Various Conditions, and Improved Cementing Techniques and Instrumentations for Total Hip Replacement

Viscoelastic properties of acrylic bone cement were studied by using a simplified controlled laboratory model simulating a component cementing in total hip replacement surgery. This study also dealt with improved cementing techniques developed through these experimental studies.

Bilateral Kienböck’s Disease

We conducted a retrospective review of 11 patients with bilateral Kienböck’s disease from our series of 251 patients with Kienböck’s disease. There were no significant differences in radiographic parameters, including ulnar variance and carpal bone angle, between those with unilateral and those with bilateral Kienböck’s disease. None of the patients with bilateral disease had been treated with corticosteroids or had a systemic disease that predisposed to osteonecrosis. Thus, this study failed to demonstrate any risk factor for bilateral, as opposed to unilateral Kienböck’s disease.

Ice VII from aqueous salt solutions: From a glass to a crystal with broken H-bonds

It has been known for decades that certain aqueous salt solutions of LiCl and LiBr readily form glasses when cooled to below ≈160 K. This fact has recently been exploited to produce a « salty » high-pressure ice form: When the glass is compressed at low temperatures to pressures higher than 4 GPa and subsequently warmed, it crystallizes into ice VII with the ionic species trapped inside the ice lattice. Here we report the extreme limit of salt incorporation into ice VII, using high pressure neutron diffraction and molecular dynamics simulations. We show that high-pressure crystallisation of aqueous solutions of LiCl∙RH₂O and LiBr∙RH₂O with R = 5.6 leads to solids with strongly expanded volume, a destruction of the hydrogen-bond network with an isotropic distribution of water-dipole moments, as well as a crystal-to-amorphous transition on decompression. This highly unusual behaviour constitutes an interesting pathway from a glass to a crystal where translational periodicity is restored but the rotational degrees of freedom remaining completely random.

Partially ordered state of ice XV

Most ice polymorphs have order-disorder "pairs" in terms of hydrogen positions, which contributes to the rich variety of ice polymorphs; in fact, three recently discovered polymorphs- ices XIII, XIV, and XV-are ordered counter forms to already identified disordered phases. Despite the considerable effort to understand order-disorder transition in ice crystals, there is an inconsistency among the various experiments and calculations for ice XV, the ordered counter form of ice VI, i.e., neutron diffraction observations suggest antiferroelectrically ordered structures, which disagree with dielectric measurement and theoretical studies, implying ferroelectrically ordered structures. Here we investigate in-situ neutron diffraction measurements and density functional theory calculations to revisit the structure and stability of ice XV. We find that none of the completely ordered configurations are particular favored; instead, partially ordered states are established as a mixture of ordered domains in disordered ice VI. This scenario in which several kinds of ordered configuration coexist dispels the contradictions in previous studies. It means that the order-disorder pairs in ice polymorphs are not one-to-one correspondent pairs but rather have one-to-n correspondence, where there are n possible configurations at finite temperature.

Adsorbed states of chlorophenol on Cu(110) and controlled switching of single-molecule junctions

A molecular junction of substituted benzene (chlorophenol) is fabricated and controlled by using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Prior to the junction formation, the bonding geometry of the molecule on the surface is characterized by STM and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). EELS shows that the OH group of chlorophenol is dissociated on Cu(110) and that the molecule is bonded nearly flat to the surface via an O atom, with the Cl group intact. We demonstrate controlled contact of an STM tip to the "available" Cl group and lift-up of the molecule while it is anchored to the surface via an O atom. The asymmetric bonding motifs of the molecule to the electrodes allow for reversible control of the junction.