Biomedical Research-tokyo 

About: Biomedical Research-tokyo is an academic journal published by Allied Academies. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Diabetes mellitus. It has an ISSN identifier of 0388-6107. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 6325 publications have been published receiving 42335 citations.

Expression of short-chain fatty acid receptor GPR41 in the human colon.

Abstract: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetate, propionate and butyrate, are the most commonly found anions found in the monogastric mammalian large intestine, and are known to have a variety of physiological and pathophysiological effects on the gastrointestinal tract. We investigated the protein and mRNA expression levels of GPR41, a possible G protein coupled receptor for SCFA, using Western blot analysis and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. We found that GPR41 protein and mRNA are expressed in human colonic mucosa. Immunohistochemistry for GPR41 showed that mucosal GPR41 protein is localized in cytoplasm of enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. Moreover, GPR41-immunoreactive endocrine cells contained peptide YY but not serotonin or GPR43. The cellular population of GPR41 (0.01 +/- 0.01 cells/crypt) was much smaller than that of GPR43 (0.33 +/- 0.01 cells/crypt) in the human colon. However, the potency order of SCFA-induced phasic contraction of colonic smooth muscle that we previously reported is consistent with GPR41 (propionate >or= butyrate > acetate) but not GPR43 (propionate = butyrate = acetate). Therefore, the present study suggests that GPR41 expressed in human colonic mucosa may function as a sensor for luminal SCFAs.

Salivary chromogranin a as an index of psychosomatic stress response

Abstract: 人間感覚の客観的な評価方法は,ストレス低減 や快適性向上効果を持った商品や技術の開発に必 要であり, 微弱なストレスの評価が可能な高感度 指標が求められている。交感神経系は, ストレス に対して鋭敏に反応する。そこで, 交感神経活動 と関連した唾液中の物質を探索した。クロモグラ ニンA (CgA) は,副腎髄質クロム親和性細胞や交 感神経ニューロンから分泌される主要なタンパク 質の一種である。CgAはカテコールアミンととも に細胞外へ共分泌されることが知られている。ス トレス負荷に伴う唾液中および血中CgA,カテコ ールアミンおよびコルチゾール濃度の変化を男性 被験者を対象として調べた。その結果,精神的ス トレス時 ( 人前での口頭発表,自動車運転 ) に唾 液中CgAは唾液中コルチゾールよりも早期に上昇 することが判明した。一方,運動負荷時において は,血中カテコールアミン濃度が即座に上昇した のに対して,唾液中CgAは顕著な変化を示さなか った。これらの結果より,唾液中CgAは,高感度 な精神的ストレス指標として有用であることが示 唆された。唾液中CgAが新たな生化学指標として 加わり,さまざまな状況下において,より正確な 人間感覚評価が可能になると期待される。 Objective measurement of human feelings is essential for the development of products and technologies to reduce stress. Therefore, sensitive indices of stress are sought to evaluate even weak stress. Since the sympathetic nervous system responds sensitively to stress, we searched for substances in saliva which are related to the activity of the nervous system. The resulting chromogranin A (CgA) is a major protein in adrenal chromaffin cells and adrenargic neurons. CgA and catecholamines are coreleased into an extra-cellular environment. We measured changes in the concentrations of CgA, catecholamines and cortisol in saliva and plasma of male volunteers with exposure to stress. We found a prompt elevation in salivary CgA level and a delayed increase in salivary cortisol level with psychosomatic stresses applied by oral presentation in front of audience and car driving. After exercise , however, the CgA level did not change though the plasma catecholamine level increased immediately. These results suggest that salivary CgA may be a sensitive and promising index for psychosomatic stress. Salivary CgA, a novel biochemical index of stress, is expected to allow more precise evaluation of human feelings in various situations. 特 集 特集 バイオ技術の環境・人間分野への応用

Visual calibration of the neural representation of auditory space in the barn owl

Abstract: Ca 2+ waves and Ca 2+ oscillations occur at fertilization of hamster eggs, and a regenerative propagating Ca 2+ release is induced by injection of either IP 3 or Ca 2+ in unfertilized eggs. All these Ca 2+ responses were inhibited by a monoclonal antibody, 18A10, against the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP 3 R), whereas ryanodine receptor (RyR) mediated Ca 2+ release was not detected. Findings in hamster eggs support the view that Ca 2+ -induced Ca 2+ release mediated by IP 3 R but not RyR is caused by the sensitizing effect of Ca 2+ on IP 3 R and is responsible for the spatiotemporal pattern of Ca 2+ signaling

GPR expression in the rat taste bud relating to fatty acid sensing.

Abstract: We investigated the expression of G protein-coupled receptor GPR40 and GPR120 in the rat tongue. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we detected a significant expression of GPR120 mRNA in the epithelium of the circumvallate papillae but not in the nonsensory epithelium, while the expression of GPR40 mRNA was undetectable in the sensory papillae. Western blotting analysis of colon and circumvallate papillae for GPR120 showed a protein band with a molecular weight that corresponds to that of GPR120, indicating that this antibody could recognize a native form of GPR120. Immunohistochemistry using anti-GPR120 antibody revealed GPR120 immunoreactivity in the enteroendocrine cells of the colon. Furthermore, some cells in each taste bud were stained positively with more intense labeling in the apical part of the cells. These results suggested that GPR120 is expressed in the taste cells of the circumvallate papillae to sense dietary fat, like the receptor expressed in the enteroendocrine cells.