Japan International Cooperation Agency

About: Japan International Cooperation Agency is a government organization based out in Tokyo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 555 authors who have published 613 publications receiving 9536 citations.

Protection of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 in Cisplatin-Induced Renal Injury Elucidates Gut-Kidney Connection

Abstract: Accumulating evidence of the beyond-glucose lowering effects of a gut-released hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), has been reported in the context of remote organ connections of the cardiovascular system. Specifically, GLP-1 appears to prevent apoptosis, and inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), which cleaves GLP-1, is renoprotective in rodent ischemia-reperfusion injury models. Whether this renoprotection involves enhanced GLP-1 signaling is unclear, however, because DPP-4 cleaves other molecules as well. Thus, we investigated whether modulation of GLP-1 signaling attenuates cisplatin (CP)-induced AKI. Mice injected with 15 mg/kg CP had increased BUN and serum creatinine and CP caused remarkable pathologic renal injury, including tubular necrosis. Apoptosis was also detected in the tubular epithelial cells of CP-treated mice using immunoassays for single-stranded DNA and activated caspase-3. Treatment with a DPP-4 inhibitor, alogliptin (AG), significantly reduced CP-induced renal injury and reduced the renal mRNA expression ratios of Bax/Bcl-2 and Bim/Bcl-2. AG treatment increased the blood levels of GLP-1, but reversed the CP-induced increase in the levels of other DPP-4 substrates such as stromal cell-derived factor-1 and neuropeptide Y. Furthermore, the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 reduced CP-induced renal injury and apoptosis, and suppression of renal GLP-1 receptor expression in vivo by small interfering RNA reversed the renoprotective effects of AG. These data suggest that enhancing GLP-1 signaling ameliorates CP-induced AKI via antiapoptotic effects and that this gut-kidney axis could be a new therapeutic target in AKI.

Variation in quality traits in common wheat as related to Chinese fresh white noodle quality

Abstract: The variation in grain compositional traits related to Chinese fresh white noodle (CFWN) quality was examined in 25 leading Chinese common wheat cultivars and advanced lines. Large variations were observed in flour yield, flour particle size, protein and ash contents, farinograph and rapid visco-analyzer (RVA) parameters, flour colour components, and polyphenol oxydase (PPO) activity. An improved sensory method was proposed for adequately evaluating CFWN quality of common wheat flour based on methodology used in the Japanese quality scoring system for white salted noodles, but with major modifications in the score weight given to each noodle quality parameter. Large differences in CFWN quality were observed among Chinese wheat cultivars. The correlation coefficients (r) between starch paste breakdown (RVA) and noodle viscoelasticity and smoothness were 0.63 and 0.59, respectively, suggesting that in breeding wheat for high CFWN quality, the starch pasting properties are of major importance. Low ash content was significantly correlated (r = − 0.66) with bright white noodle colour.