Fluorescent acceptors have been immobilized on nanoparticulate quantum dots (QDs), which serve in turn as their FRET donors. The broad excitation and narrow emission bands of QDs mark them as having excellent potential as donors for FRET and, in principle, differently colored QDs could be excited simultaneously. The present work describes the preparation and operation of FRET-based QD bioprobes individually able to detect the actions of protease, deoxyribonuclease, DNA polymerase, or changes in pH. In addition, two such QD-mounted biosensors were excited at a single wavelength, and shown to operate simultaneously and independently of each other in the same sample solution, allowing multiplex detection of the action of a protease, trypsin, in the presence of deoxyribonuclease.

Autophagy is a process of self-digestion generally observed in eukaryotes and has been shown to play crucial roles for survival under starvation and removal of deleterious substances. Despite great advances that have been made, many problems in mechanisms of autophagy remain unsolved. As a large number of autophagy-related proteins are identified in each species, a database that collects data, identifies their homologs in other species and makes them available will contribute to research advancement. As no such resources exist, we built the Autophagy database (http://tp-apg.genes.nig.ac.jp/autophagy) to provide basics, up-to-date information on relevant literature, and a list of autophagy-related proteins and their homologs in 41 eukaryotes. From the database, the user can search for proteins by keywords or sequences to obtain a wealth of data including functional and structural information and find possible functional homologs of proteins whose functions have been demonstrated in other species. As proteins that bind the phospholipid, phosphatidyl inositol 3-phosphate (PI3P) are essential for autophagy to proceed, we carried out an original analysis to identify probable PI3P-binding proteins, and made the list available from the database. The database is expected to give impetus to further research on autophagy by providing basic and specialized data on the subject.

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Ultra-fine bubbles (<200 nm in diameter) have several unique properties and have been tested in various medical fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of oxygen ultra-fine bubbles (OUBs) on a sciatic nerve crush injury (SNC) model rats. Rats were intraperitoneally injected with 1.5 mL saline, OUBs diluted in saline, or nitrogen ultra-fine bubbles (NUBs) diluted in saline three times per week for 4 weeks in four groups: (1) control, (sham operation + saline); (2) SNC, (crush + saline); (3) SNC+OUB, (crush + OUB-saline); (4) SNC+NUB, (crush + NUB-saline). The effects of the OUBs on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and Schwann cells (SCs) were examined by serial dilution of OUB medium in vitro. Sciatic functional index, paw withdrawal thresholds, nerve conduction velocity, and myelinated axons were significantly decreased in the SNC group compared to the control group; these parameters were significantly improved in the SNC+OUB group, although NUB treatment did not affect these parameters. In vitro, OUBs significantly promoted neurite outgrowth in DRG neurons by activating AKT signaling and SC proliferation by activating ERK1/2 and JNK/c-JUN signaling. OUBs may improve nerve dysfunction in SNC rats by promoting neurite outgrowth in DRG neurons and SC proliferation.

A 66-year-old man was hospitalized after vomiting blood after inducing vomiting using his fingers due to laryngeal discomfort. Upper digestive tract endoscopy revealed a large, dark red mass that connected from the upper esophagus to the lower esophagus. Esophageal submucosal hematoma was diagnosed using endoscopy, X-ray images, a small-diameter ultrasonic probe, and chest CT scanning. Pain from the epigastrium to the larynx disappeared after 3 days. Melena occurred on Day 3. Endoscopic examination revealed that the hematoma had collapsed over a wide area. Endoscopic examination after one week showed that the mucous membrane covering the hematoma had peeled away revealing an extensive shallow ulcer in the esophagus. Endoscopic examination after one month confirmed the ulcer had scarred and healed.

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