Kanazawa Medical University

About: Kanazawa Medical University is a education organization based out in Kanazawa, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 3103 authors who have published 6322 publications receiving 144592 citations. The organization is also known as: Kanazawa ika daigaku.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors for hypertension.

Abstract: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily, which is composed of four members encoded by distinct genes (α, β, γ, and δ). The genes undergo transactivation or transrepression under specific mechanisms that lead to the induction or repression of target gene expression. As is the case with other nuclear receptors, all four PPAR isoforms contain five or six structural regions in four functional domains; namely, A/B, C, D, and E/F. PPARs have many functions, particularly functions involving control of vascular tone, inflammation, and energy homeostasis, and are, therefore, important targets for hypertension, obesity, obesity-induced inflammation, and metabolic syndrome in general. Hence, PPARs also represent drug targets, and PPARα and PPARγ agonists are used clinically in the treatment of dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus, respectively. Because of their pleiotropic effects, they have been identified as active in a number of diseases and are targets for the development of a broad range of therapies for a variety of diseases. It is likely that the range of PPARγ agonist therapeutic actions will result in novel approaches to lifestyle and other diseases. The combination of PPARs with reagents or with other cardiovascular drugs, such as diuretics and angiotensin II receptor blockers, should be studied. This article provides a review of PPAR isoform characteristics, a discussion of progress in our understanding of the biological actions of PPARs, and a summary of PPAR agonist development for patient management. We also include a summary of the experimental and clinical evidence obtained from animal studies and clinical trials conducted to evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of PPAR agonists in the treatment of lifestyle-related diseases.

Relationships between pain-related mediators and both synovitis and joint pain in patients with internal derangements and osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint

Abstract: Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between the concentrations of pain-related mediators in synovial fluid and the degree of synovitis and between the concentrations of pain-related mediators and the degree of joint pain in patients with internal derangement and osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint. Study Design. The concentrations of substance P, serotonin, bradykinin, leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and prostaglandin E2 in SF and the degree of arthroscopic synovitis of 32 joints with internal derangement and osteoarthritis were assessed. The correlations between the concentration of each mediator and the score of arthroscopic synovitis and between the concentration of each mediator and the score of joint pain were analyzed statistically. Results. The detection rates of substance P, serotonin, bradykinin, LTB4, and prostaglandin E2 were 25%, 25%, 91%, 53%, and 16%, respectively. Positive correlations were found between the concentrations of bradykinin and LTB4 and the score of synovitis. Conclusion. Bradykinin in SF might be useful as an index of the degree of synovitis. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2002;94:328-32)