No abstract

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, was recently identified in the rat stomach. Previous studies have shown that ghrelin potently increases growth hormone release and food intake. We examined the effects of the gastric peptide ghrelin on anxiety-like behavior in association with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in mice. Both intra-third cerebroventricular and intraperitoneal administration of ghrelin potently and significantly induced anxiogenic activities in the elevated plus maze test. Ghrelin gene expression in the stomach was increased by tail pinch stress as well as by starvation stress. Administration of a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor antagonist significantly inhibited ghrelin-induced anxiogenic effects. Peripherally administered ghrelin significantly increased CRH mRNA, but not urocortin mRNA expression in the hypothalamus. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of ghrelin produced a significant dose- dependent increase in serum corticosterone levels. These findings suggest that ghrelin may have a role in mediating neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to stressors and that the stomach could play an important role, not only in the regulation of appetite, but also in the regulation of anxiety.

KAATSU training is a novel training, which is performed under conditions of restricted blood flow. It can induce a variety of beneficial effects such as increased muscle strength, and it has been adopted by a number of facilities in recent times. The purpose of the present study is to know the present state of KAATSU training in Japan and examine the incidence of adverse events in the field. The data were obtained from KAATSU leaders or instructors in a total of 105 out of 195 facilities where KAATSU training has been adopted. Based on survey results, 12,642 persons have received KAATSU training (male 45.4%, female 54.6%). KAATSU training has been applied to all generations of people including the young (<20 years old) and the elderly (>80 years old). The most popular purpose of KAATSU training is to strengthen muscle in athletes and to promote the health of subjects, including the elderly. It has been also applied to various kinds of physical conditions, cerebrovascular diseases, orthopedic diseases, obesity, cardiac diseases, neuromuscular diseases, diabetes, hypertension and respiratory diseases. In KAATSU training, various types of exercise modalities (physical exercise, walking, cycling, and weight training) are used. Most facilities have used 5-30 min KAATSU training each time, and performed it 1-3 times a week. Approximately 80% of the facilities are satisfied with the results of KAATSU training with only small numbers of complications reported. The incidence of side effects was as follows; venous thrombus (0.055%), pulmonary embolism (0.008%) and rhabdomyolysis (0.008%). These results indicate that the KAATSU training is a safe and promising method for training athletes and healthy persons, and can also be applied to persons with various physical conditions.

Cerium oxide cluster ions, Ce(n)O(2n+x)(+) (n = 2-9, x = -1 to +2), were prepared in the gas phase by laser ablation of a cerium oxide rod in the presence of oxygen diluted in He as the carrier gas. The stable stoichiometry of the cluster ions was investigated using a mass spectrometer in combination with a newly developed post heating device. The oxygen-rich clusters, Ce(n)O(2n+x)(+) (x = 1, 2), were found to release oxygen molecules, and Ce(n)O(2n+x)(+) (x = -1, 0) were exclusively formed by post heating treatment at 573 K. The Ce(n)O(2n-1)(+) and Ce(n)O(2n)(+) clusters were found to be thermally stable, and the oxygen-rich clusters consisted of robust Ce(n)O(2n-1)(+) and Ce(n)O(2n)(+) and weakly bound oxygen atoms. Evaluation of the reactivity of Ce(n)O(2n+x)(+) with CO molecules demonstrated that Ce(n)O(2n)(+) oxidized CO to form Ce(n)O(2n-1)(+) and CO2, and the rate constants of the reaction were in the range of 10(-12)-10(-16) cm(3) s(-1). The CO oxidation reaction was distinct for n = 5, which occurred in parallel with the CO attachment reaction.

Voltage-gated Na þ channel (I Na ) is expressed under culture conditions in human smooth muscle cells (hSMCs) such as coronary myocytes. The aim of this study is to clarify the physiological, pharmacological and molecular characteristics of I Na expressed in cultured hSMCs obtained from bronchus, main pulmonary and coronary artery. I Na , was recorded in these hSMCs and inhibited by tetrodotoxin (TTX) with an IC 50 value of approximately 10 nM. Reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of mRNA showed the prominent expression of transcripts for SCN9A, which was consistent with the results of real-time quantitative RT-PCR. These results provide novel evidence that TTX-sensitive Na þ channel expressed in cultured hSMCs is mainly composed of Na v 1.7.

The adsorption of NO on cationic Rh clusters, Rhn + (n = 6−16), was studied by IRMPD spectroscopy using FELIX in combination with DFT calculations. The IRMPD spectra show that NO adsorbs molecularly on an on-top site of Rhn + for all n studied, while for n = 7, 12, 13 and 14 evidence is found for second, bridging, adsorption site. Indeed, the DFT calculations suggest that molecular NO adsorption on a bridge site is more stable than on an on-top site for n = 7. Part of the NO adsorbs dissociatively on Rhn + , and the ratio of dissociative adsorption depends on the size, n. For Rhn + (n = 6, 8, 9), the dissociative form of NO is predicted more favorable than the molecular form by the DFT calculations, but experimentally observed ratios of dissociative adsorption were less than the prediction. The activation barrier existing between the molecular and dissociative adsorption was considered to hinder the NO dissociation. 20 ASSOCIATED CONTENT Supporting Information The supporting information is available free of charge on the ACS Publication website at DOI:_.

Purposes: The KAATSU training is performed under the reduction of muscle blood flow by a speciallydesigned belt (KAATSU belt), which induces blood pooling in capacitance vessels by restricting venous return. However, no prior studies have examined the effects of KAATSU training on haemostasis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate acute effects of KAATSU training on haemostasis including fibrinolytic responses in healthy subjects. Methods: Two protocols have been performed. (1) 6 healthy men (mean age= 48 ± 5 yr) performed KAATSU (160 mmHg) of both thighs for 15 minutes and then KAASTU training combined with low-intensity leg and foot aerobic exercises for ~10 minutes in hypobaric chamber, which mimics 8000 feet in airflight. (2) Another 7 men (mean age=30 ± 4 yr) performed leg press exercises (30 % 1 RM) with and without KAATSU of both thighs 24 h after bed rest. Blood samples were taken at rest, immediately after KAATSU, and exercises with or without KAATSU, and after exercise. For the investigation of blood fibrinolysis, determinations of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) activity or antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 activity or antigen, fibrin degradation product (FDP) and D-dimer were used. Prothrombin time (PT) and platelet counts were also measured. Results: (1) In hypobaric chamber, KAATSU by itself significantly increased tPA activity, while PAI-1 activity was unchanged. Furthermore, immediately after the exercise, tPA activity increased significantly. (2) During the exercises combined with KAATSU 24 h after bed rest, tPA antigen significantly increased, compared with control exercises, but PAI-1 antigen was unchanged. In both cases, KAATSU training did not induce fibrin formation as assessed by fibrin D-dimer and FDP. Conclusions: This study indicates that potentially favorable changes occur in fibrinolytic factors after KAATSU and KAATSU training in healthy subjects.

Objective: To estimate the effect of a new road traffic law against alcohol-impaired driving in Japan. Methods: Japan passed a new road traffic law in June 2002 intended to reduce alcohol-impaired driving by decreasing the permissible blood alcohol level and by increasing penalties. Using data collected from police reports, the number of traffic fatalities and injuries were analyzed by time series. Results: Simple comparisons of the average of all severe traffic injuries, traffic fatalities, alcohol-impaired traffic injuries, alcohol-impaired severe traffic injuries, and alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities per billion kilometers driven showed reductions after enactment of the new road traffic law in June 2002. The rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities per billion kilometers driven decreased by 38% in the post-law period. In segmented regression analyses with adjustment for baseline trends, seasonality, and autocorrelation, all traffic injuries, severe traffic injuries, alcohol-impaired traffic injuries, alcohol-impaired severe traffic injuries, and alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities per billion kilometers driven declined significantly from baseline after the new traffic law. Conclusion: Large, immediate public health benefits resulted from the new road traffic law in Japan.