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Heat Shock Related Protein Expression in Abdominal Testes of Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
No full textIn the abdominal testes of most mammals, with the exception of elephants and a few animal species, spermatogenesis is characterised by an arrest of spermatogenesis due to heat stress. However, the mechanisms underlying normal spermatogenesis in the elephant abdominal testis remain unknown. We hypothesised that comparing the expression of heat stress tolerance molecules of elephant testes with that of other animals and investigating the mechanism of spermatogenesis in elephants might provide clues to overcome the causes of heat stress-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction. The results showed that the elephant’s body cells, other than the testes, have a similar mechanism to those of other mammals but that the spermatogenic cells have a different mechanism, with different molecular immunoexpression under heat stress in the abdomen. These findings suggest that these molecules and their relationships may be important in future investigations of the mechanisms that overcome heat stress to maintain spermatogenesis in elephants.The abdominal testes of Asian elephants show normal spermatogenesis. Heat shock in cryptorchid testes elevates heat shock factor (HSF) expression, leading to germ cell apoptosis, while increased heat shock proteins (HSPs) levels provide protection. To investigate how heat shock affects elephant spermatogenic cells, focusing on heat shock-related molecules and the cell death mechanism, immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining were employed to assess the immunoexpression of several heat shock-related molecules and the status of apoptosis in elephant fibroblasts (EF) induced by heat shock stimulus. Additionally, the immunoexpression of heat shock-related molecules and cell proliferation status in the elephant spermatogenic cells. Our finding indicated that heat shock-induced HSF1 immunoexpression in EF leads to apoptosis mediated by T-cell death-associated gene 51 (TDAG51) while also upregulating HSP70 to protect damaged cells. In elephant spermatogenic cells, immunostaining revealed a predominance of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells with minimal TDAG51- and TUNEL-positive cells, suggesting active proliferation and apoptosis suppression during normal spermatogenesis in the abdominal testis. Interestingly, spermatogonia co-immunoexpressed HSF1 and HSP90, potentially reducing apoptosis through protective mechanisms different from those observed in other mammals. Spermatogenic cells did not show immunolocalisation of HSP70, and hence, it may not contribute to protecting the spermatogonia from heat shock because the transcriptional activity of HSF1 is suppressed by HSP90A binding. This study provides insight into the specific heat shock response and defence mechanisms in elephant spermatogenic cells and may contribute to our understanding of species-specific adaptation to environmental stresses of the testis.journal articl
Antimicrobial Efficacy of a Portable UV-C-Based Coating Activation Device against Candida albicans Biofilm and SARS-CoV-2 as an Additional Feature : An In Vitro Study
No full textThis in vitro study aimed to confirm the effect of the additional features of Kirei Keep Light (KKL), a commercial UV-C irradiation system that was originally created for coating the surface of removable dentures with photoreactive 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), on the antimicrobial efficacy aspect against Candida albicans biofilm on a denture base material (PMMA) and SARS-CoV-2. Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial efficacy on C. albicans biofilm was evaluated through quantitative (CFU) and qualitative (SEM images) analysis of three groups: no treatment (control), KKL, and immersion in a disinfectant solution, MCAE. The quantitative evaluation on SARS-CoV-2 was performed by comparing the untreated (control) group and the KKL group. Results: In comparison with the control group (2.39 × 106 CFU/mL), KKL irradiation resulted in a 91.01% reduction in C. albicans biofilm (2.15 × 105 CFU/mL), whereas for the MCAE group, this reduction was 99.98% (4.64 × 102 CFU/mL). The SEM image results also corroborate the CFU results, which showed that the fewest clean surfaces were found in the control, and this gradually increased with KKL and MCAE. SARS-CoV-2 inhibition, indicated by its TCID50 value, demonstrated that KKL almost completely inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication (99.99% reduction). Conclusion: KKL possesses antimicrobial efficacy on C. albicans biofilm on PMMA and SARS-CoV-2.journal articl
Distribution of main occluding area and associated factors in adolescents
No full textPurpose: This study was designed to investigate the distribution of the main occluding area in adolescents. Furthermore, the importance of the main occluding area was clarified by examining its interrelationship with oral function and craniofacial morphology.
Methods: A total of 102 patients were included in this study. The main occluding area was identified using a previously described method. Maximum occlusal force, occlusal contact area, lip-closing force, tongue pressure, and masticatory efficiency were measured to evaluate oral function. Craniofacial morphology was assessed using lateral cephalography.
Results: In terms of the degree of consistency of the main occluding area, the proportion of cases in which two matches were obtained among three trials was the highest. The most common main occluding area was the first molar. Regarding the anteroposterior position of the hyoid bone, the anteroposterior distance between the hyoid bone and the menton (Me-H) was significantly shorter in the group where the first molar was used for occlusion, relative to the group in which second premolar was used.
Conclusion: The main occluding area in adolescents was less stable than that in adults and older adults; however, first molars accounted for most of the main occlusion areas, suggesting that the position of the hyoid bone might play a role in establishing their location.journal articl
Characterization of Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF) from Steam-exploded Palm Oil Kernel Fibers Followed by Supermasscolloider
No full textThe Palm oil industry produced several lignocellulosic biomass wastes that could be utilized as a renewable and sustainable resource for biomaterial. Recently, cellulose nanofiber (CNF) has become a biopolymer with various advantages, which has attracted the interest of researchers in its development. This study focused on the development and characterized the CNF from palm oil kernel fibers via steam explosion pretreatment (35 ATM, 243 °C, 5 minutes resident time, severity factor/R0 4.91) followed by water-acetone extraction and delignification process. The nanosizing process used a supermasscolloider, resulting in various CNF diameters with 53.9-134 nm. The Molecular weight was 43211 Da with 266 degrees of polymerization (DPw) and 1.52 dL/g intrinsic viscosity (η). The CNF kernel fibers resulted in satisfying mechanical properties, where the tensile strength was 75.23 MPa with 119.22 GPa Young's modulus and 2.95 elongations at break. The thermal characterization resulted in weight loss at 5 % (Td5) 121.22, 285.74, and 319 °C for Td10 and Td30, respectively, with CNF starting to lose its weight (Ts) at 117.54 °C. The glass transition (Tg) of the CNF kernel fibers was 80.53 °C. Other than that, the fingerprinting via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy detected the hydroxyl group (OH), which could be a carrier agent for various compound incorporation and surface modification.journal articl
Effects of D-Allose on experimental cardiac hypertrophy
No full textThe hallmark of pathological cardiac hypertrophy is the decline in myocardial contractility caused by an energy deficit resulting from metabolic abnormalities, particularly those related to glucose metabolism. Here, we aim to explore whether D-Allose, a rare sugar that utilizes the same transporters as glucose, may restore metabolic equilibrium and reverse cardiac hypertrophy. Isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were stimulated with phenylephrine and treated with D-Allose simultaneously for 48 h. D-Allose treatment resulted in a pronounced reduction in cardiomyocyte size and cardiac remodelling markers accompanied with a dramatic reduction in the level of intracellular glucose in phenylephrine-stimulated cells. The metabolic flux analysis provided further insights revealing that D-Allose exerted a remarkable inhibition of glycolysis as well as glycolytic capacity. Furthermore, in mice subjected to a 14-day continuous infusion of isoproterenol (ISO) to induce cardiac hypertrophy, D-Allose treatment via drinking water notably reduced ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy and remodelling markers, with minimal effects on ventricular wall thickness observed in echocardiographic analyses. These findings indicate that D-Allose has the ability to attenuate the progression of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by decreasing intracellular glucose flux and inhibiting glycolysis.journal articl
Effect of soft denture liners on complete denture treatments : A systematic review
No full textPurpose: This systematic review examined the effectiveness of soft denture relining (SDR) materials.
Study selection: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and ICHUSHI was conducted up to July 26, 2020. Target outcomes were patient satisfaction, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL), masticatory ability (MA), denture functional duration, residual ridge resorption (RRR), and microbial contamination. An organization specializing in literature searches performed the reference searches, and two reviewers independently selected the literature sources, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias. The reviewers resolved any disagreements concerning the assortment of literature sources through discussion. SDR included acrylic- and silicone-based materials, which were evaluated separately.
Results: Reviewers selected 7, 5, 11, 1, 4, and 6 studies to assess patient satisfaction, OHRQOL, MA, functional duration, RRR, and microbial contamination, respectively. The results confirmed that SDR improved patient satisfaction, OHRQOL, MA, and RRR. However, the functional duration of SDR material is shorter than that of hard denture relining (HDR) or acrylic resin material. Furthermore, SDR material is more susceptible to microbial contamination in the long term. The risk of bias for the included studies tended to be high because of specific issues (difficulty in blinding SDR versus HDR).
Conclusions: For patients who wear complete dentures, SDR often provides beneficial outcomes such as pain reduction and recovery from MA. However, caution should be exercised regarding their use owing to insufficient functional duration and the possibility of microbial contamination during long-term use.journal articl
Atypical heat shock transcription factor HSF5 is critical for male meiotic prophase under non-stress conditions
No full textMeiotic prophase progression is differently regulated in males and females. In males, pachytene transition during meiotic prophase is accompanied by robust alteration in gene expression. However, how gene expression is regulated differently to ensure meiotic prophase completion in males remains elusive. Herein, we identify HSF5 as a male germ cell-specific heat shock transcription factor (HSF) for meiotic prophase progression. Genetic analyzes and single-cell RNA-sequencing demonstrate that HSF5 is essential for progression beyond the pachytene stage under non-stress conditions rather than heat stress. Chromatin binding analysis in vivo and DNA-binding assays in vitro suggest that HSF5 binds to promoters in a subset of genes associated with chromatin organization. HSF5 recognizes a DNA motif different from typical heat shock elements recognized by other canonical HSFs. This study suggests that HSF5 is an atypical HSF that is required for the gene expression program for pachytene transition during meiotic prophase in males.journal articl
LIBS測定におけるスペクトル強度の照射ごとのばらつきの誤差伝播による解析
No full textAtomic spectral lines obtained by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) often suffer from serious pulse-to-pulse fluctuation, which limits the accuracy of the quantitative analysis. Solving this problem is an important issue for improving the analytical performance of LIBS. In the present review the model to simulate the emission spectral intensity of LIBS measurements is introduced, and the method to evaluate the propagation of the pulse-to-pulse variation of plasma parameters to the variation of emission spectral intensity by the error propagation analysis is explained. The recent three studies found in the literature that investigated the pulse-to-pulse fluctuation of the spectral line intensities on the basis of error propagation analysis are reviewed.journal articl
Effects of electrical stimulation of the lower extremities on postprandial hyperglycemia and arterial stiffness
No full textPurpose: To compare the acute effects of electrical stimulation (ES) of the lower extremities on postprandial hyperglycemia and arterial stiffness during oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT).
Methods: In a randomized crossover study, eight healthy young men completed three experimental trials in which they underwent ES for 30 min, starting 60 min before (Before) or 30 min after (After) ingesting 75 g of glucose; ES was not performed in the control trial (Control). The subjects’ blood glucose levels and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured as an index of arterial stiffness at baseline and 30, 60, and 120 min after glucose ingestion. Serum insulin levels were measured at baseline and 60 min after glucose ingestion.
Results: The subjects’ glucose intake led to an increase in their blood glucose concentration in all trials, however, in the After trial, ES resulted in significantly lower blood glucose concentrations at 60 min post glucose ingestion compared to the Control and Before trials. The area under the curve (AUC) of serum insulin concentrations during the OGTT in the After trial was significantly lower than that in the other two trials. Moreover, glucose ingestion did not increase the baPWV, however, 30 min of ES during the postprandial state acutely reduced the baPWV.
Conclusion: These results suggest that ES is most effective in reducing postprandial hyperglycemia when administered after a meal. Thus, lower extremity ES may be an alternative exercise method to activate postprandial glucose metabolism in healthy individuals.journal articl