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Aims Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) show significantly lower body weight than normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Our hypotheses are as follows: weight loss of the skeletal muscle is related to hypertension-related diseases, and muscle hypotrophy is useful as a therapeutic target for hypertension and hypertension-related diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the pathophysiological characteristics of muscle hypotrophy in SHRSP to determine the therapeutic target molecule(s). Main methods The difference in skeletal muscles in the lower leg between WKY and SHRSP was evaluated mainly through weight/tibial length, histological, gene expression, and protein expression analyses. Key findings SHRSP had a significantly lower weight/tibial length in soleus and gastrocnemius, but not in plantaris and tibialis anterior, indicating that muscles consisting of a relatively high amount of slow muscle fiber were affected. This result was confirmed by the histological analysis of soleus, showing that type I fiber mainly decreased the fiber size. Microarray and protein expression analyses showed that the muscle-specific ubiquitin ligase, muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1), but not atrogin-1, was highly expressed in soleus, but not in plantaris, in SHRSP. TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis receptor (TWEAKR) was predicted as a MuRF1 up-regulator by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and immunostained only in type II fiber in WKY but in both type I and II fibers in SHRSP. Significance TWEAKR is a type II-specific receptor in the skeletal muscle. Ectopic TWEAKR expression in type I fiber of SHRSP is most likely involved in slow muscle-specific hypotrophy through MuRF1 overexpression.

We have shown that genistein inhibits the growth of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells in vitro and in vivo, and this leads to pronounced G2/M arrest. This report shows that genistein induces apoptotic death in ATL cells. Although the pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk, did not inhibit genistein-induced apoptosis, release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) into the cytosol occurred. Poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibition also abrogated genistein-induced apoptosis. Genistein decreased nuclear p65 translocation and IκBα phosphorylation, and downregulated the anti-apoptotic proteins, XIAP, cIAP and survivin, NF-κB-responsive gene products. Thus, genistein is a promising agent for ATL that induces caspase-independent apoptosis through inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.

Three new A-seco limonoids, zumketol (1), zumsenin (2), and zumsenol (3), were isolated from a methanol extract of Croton jatrophoides by bioassay-guided fractionation, and their structures were determined by NMR analysis. The alpha-ketol 1 may be biosynthesized via the intramolecular acyloin condensation of a dicarboxylate intermediate.

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) occurs in human T-lymphotropic virus type I-infected individuals and is endemic to the southwestern area of Kyushu in Japan. Here, we found that nM levels of genistein and 17β-estradiol had cytotoxic effects on ATL cells and activated caspase-3. The estrogen receptor antagonist ICI182780 negated the cytotoxic effect of genistein. In addition, G protein-coupled estrogen receptor agonist G-1 also had a cytotoxic effect on ATL cells. This is the first report suggesting that estrogen receptors are a molecular target for ATL therapy.

We have conducted a search for molecular clouds toward southern IRAS point sources at intermediateto-high galactic latitude (|6| > 10°) in CO (J = 1-0) emission with the NANTEN telescope. The main purpose of the survey was to find a new sample of star-forming clouds unknown to date. Of the 29 targets, we detected CO emission toward 5 IRAS sources, i.e., 04591-0856, 05044-0325, 05050-0614, 06345-3023, and 13543—3941. Among 5 detections, the molecular cloud associated with 06345—3023 (G 239.2—16.3) was detected for the first time. If we assume the distance as being 1.5 kpc, this source is ~ 430 pc away from the galactic plane. Three sources 04591-0856 (G 208.3-28.4), 05044-0325 (G 203.5-24.7), and 05050-0614 (G 206.4-25.9) are located west to the Orion molecular clouds, and 13543-3941 (G 316.4+21.2) is located in the cometary globule CG 12. Four of the 5 clouds show a cometary shape with a "head-tail" distribution, and three of them have the IRAS source located at the edge opposite to the tail. We find that all of the CO clouds are associated with the optical nebulosities, which are likely to be reflection nebulae. A comparison of the present CO clouds with those in Ophiuchus, Taurus, Chamaeleon, and L 1333 indicates that starforming clouds tend to have a high column density, as well as a smaller ratio of the virial mass to the LTE mass.

We have carried out extensive 13CO(J = 1−0) observations toward 23 southern H II regions associated with bright-rimmed clouds. In total, 95 molecular clouds have been identified to be associated with the H II regions. Among the 95, 57 clouds \ are found to be associated with 204 IRAS point sources which are candidates for young stellar objects. There is a significant increase of star-formation efficiency on the side facing to the H II regions; the luminosity-to-mass ratio, defined as the ratio of the stellar luminosity to the molecular cloud mass, is higher by an order of magnitude on the near side of the H II regions than that on the far side. This indicates that molecular gas facing to the H II regions is more actively forming massive s\ tars whose luminosity is ≳103L⊙. In addition, the number density of the IRAS point sources increases by a factor of 2 on the near side of the H II regions compared with on the far side. These results strongly suggest that the active formation of massive stars on the near side of the H II regions is due to the effects of the H II regions, such as the compression of molecular material by the ionization/shock fronts. For the whole Galaxy, we estimate that the present star-formation rate under such effects is at least 0.2−0.4 M⊙ yr-1, corresponding to a few 10% by mass.

In the precious metals processing line, raw slimes including metals and silver are first decopperized and deselenized, and then converted to noble lead in the melting and settling furnace. Thereafter, it is turned into a crude silver anode by cupellation with the residual lead from the lead refining process. This crude silver is refined by electrolysis to produce electrolytic silver. Electrolytic gold is produced from the crude gold obtained from the sediments of silver electrolysis and part of it is used to produce high purity gold for electronic industry. Aside from these metals, selenium, tellurium, platinum and palladium are recovered.Recently, We have some improvement in these processes.

We have shown that genistein inhibits the growth of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells in vitro and in vivo, and this leads to pronounced G2/M arrest. This report shows that genistein induces apoptotic death in ATL cells. Although the pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk, did not inhibit genistein-induced apoptosis, release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) into the cytosol occurred. Poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibition also abrogated genistein-induced apoptosis. Genistein decreased nuclear p65 translocation and IκBα phosphorylation, and downregulated the anti-apoptotic proteins, XIAP, cIAP and survivin, NF-κB-responsive gene products. Thus, genistein is a promising agent for ATL that induces caspase-independent apoptosis through inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating condition resulting from excess extracellular matrix deposition that leads to progressive lung destruction and scarring. In the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases, activation of myofibroblasts by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) plays a crucial role. Since no effective therapy for pulmonary fibrosis is currently recognized, finding an effective antifibrotic agent is an important objective. One approach might be through identification of agents that inactivate myofibroblasts. In the current study we examined the potential of conditioned medium obtained from several types of cells to exhibit myofibroblast inactivating activity. Conditioned media from lung cancer cell lines A549 and PC9 were found to have this action, as shown by its ability to decrease α-smooth muscle actin expression in MRC-5 cells. Subsequently the inhibitory factor was purified from the medium and identified as 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA), and its mechanism of action elucidated. Activation of protein kinase A and cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) were detected. MTA inhibited TGF-β-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Furthermore, the gain-of-function mutant CREB caused inactivation of myofibroblasts. These results show that A549 and PC9 conditioned media have the ability to inactivate myofibroblasts, and that CREB-phosphorylation plays a central role in this process.

The authors have studied the adsorption of NO onto copper loaded ion-exchanged zeolites by means of infrared spectroscopy coupled with isotopic techniques. Such zeolites have been reported to be catalytically active for the decomposition of NO, and the development of such catalysts for exhaust gas treatments is a major factor behind this work. The authors studied the molecular form that NO took when it was adsorbed, and the nature of the sites which would bind NO. They found bound forms of the nature, NO{sup {delta}+}, NO{sup {delta}{minus}}, and (NO){sub 2}{sup {delta}{minus}}. They also observed the formation of N{sub 2} and N{sub 2}O.

Two novel limonoids, musidunin (1) and musiduol (2), were isolated from a methanol extract of Croton jatrophoides by bioassay-guided fractionation. Their structures were established by extensive NMR experiments. Interestingly, A,B-seco limonoid 1 contains a unique acetal annulation of A, A', and B' rings. Both limonoids exhibited antifeedant activities against two pests, Pectinophora gossypiella and Spodoptera frugiperda.

Two novel A-seco limonoids, dumnin and dumsenin, were isolated from the methanolic extract of Croton jatrophoides by bioassay-guided fractionation, and the structures were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance, circular dichroism, and mass spectrometry experiments. These compounds showed potent antifeedant activity (PC(50)

Repeated ion exchange of the ZSM-5 zeolite using aqueous copper(II) acetate solution was found to bring about excess loading of copper ions above 100% of exchange level. The catalytic activities of the resulting Cu-ZSM-5 zeolites for direct decomposition of nitrogen monoxide were very high and increased with increasing exchange level. The activity did not decrease even after 30 h of continuous service.

ZSM-5 zeolites containing Cu2+ ions showed unusually high and steady state activity for the catalytic decomposition of nitrogen monoxide; for example, the degrees of conversions of NO, and of conversion into N2 and O2 were 97, 85, and 70%, respectively, at 823 K with a contact time of 10.0 g s cm–3 over 73% exchanged Cu-ZSM-5.