Vitamin D and bone: — How does vitamin D regulate bone formation and resorption? —

Vitamin D was discovered as an anti-rachitic agent, but even at present, there is no direct evidence to support the concept that vitamin D directly stimulates osteoblastic bone formation and mineralization. It appears to be paradoxical, but vitamin D functions in the process of osteoclastic bone resorption. Osteoclasts, the only cells responsible for bone resorption, develop from hematopoietic cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage. In 1992, we hypothesized that a membrane-bound factor, designated as “osteoclast differentiation factor (ODF)”, is expressed on the plasma membrane of osteoblasts/stromal cells in response to osteotropic factors including the active form of vitamin D₃, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ [1α,25(OH)₂D₃]. Recently, four research groups including ours independently identified three key molecules (RANKL, RANK, and OPG) responsible for osteoclastogenesis. A long-sought-after ligand, ODF, was identical to RANKL. RANKL was a member of the membrane-associated TNF ligand family, which induced differentiation of spleen cells (osteoclast progenitors) into osteoclasts in the presence of M-CSF. RANK, a member of the TNF receptor family, was a signaling receptor essential for the RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis. OPG, a secreted member of the TNF receptor family, was a decoy receptor for RANKL. The discovery of RANKL, RANK and OPG opens a new era in the study of bone biology and the therapy of several metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and periodontal diseases.     

Alternate multi-layered adsorption of macro-cations and -anions on the colloidal spheres. Influence of the deionization of the complexation mixtures with coexistence of the ion-exchange resins

The alternate multiple adsorption layers of macrocations and macroanions on the surfaces of colloidal spheres, in which the complexation mixtures are deionized with ion-exchange resins are studied with help of the electrophoretic light-scattering, dynamic light-scattering and transmitted electron-microscopy techniques. The results are compared with those without resins. Colloidal silica spheres (110 nm in diameter) and monodispersed polystyrene spheres (220 nm) are used as colloidal spheres. The macrocations used are poly (4-vinyl-N-n-butyl pyridinium bromide) and poly (allylamine hydrochloride). Sodium poly (styrene sulfonate) and sodium polyacrylate are used as macroanions. The macroion-colloid complexations are formed firmly when the complexation suspensions are deionized with the resins.     

Effect of total dose on water absorption of partially hydrolyzed acrylamide-pyrrolidone copolymers

The synthesis and characterization of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide-1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone copolymers by γ-irradiation have been carried out. The effects of total dose at a fixed dose rate on acrylamide monomer polymerization and on copolymerization of the partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide with 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone were investigated. A higher water absorption value is vitally dependent on the specific doses absorbed at each polymerization step, material concentration and the hydrolysis condition. This paper also describes the effects of the hydrolyzed functional groups on water absorption of the modified acrylamide-pyrrolidone copolymer.     

A rapid and reliable solid-phase extraction method for high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of opium alkaloids from papaver plants

A rapid and reliable solid-phase extraction method for HPLC analysis of opium alkaloids from Papaver plants was established. Fifty mg of dried and powdered plant sample was extracted with 5 ml of 5% acetic acid for 30 min under sonication. After centrifugation, 3 ml of the supernatant was loaded on a reversed-phase cation-exchange solid-phase extraction cartridge. After seriate washings with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid and methanol, alkaloids were eluted with a mixture of 28% ammonia and methanol (1:19). The eluate was concentrated under nitrogen stream at 40 degrees C and the residue was dissolved in 50% aqueous methanol for high performance liquid chromatographic analysis. With this solid-phase extraction method, the recovery of morphine, codeine, oripavine, thebaine, papaverine, noscapine and sanguinarine was from 99.94 to 112.18% when the standard alkaloids were added to the plant samples. Opium alkaloids of a variety of genus Papaver plants cultivated in a field and phytotron were analyzed by this method.     

Thin-layer chromatographic behavior of a number of metals on carboxymethyl-cellulose in sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate media

Summary The thin-layer chromatographic behavior of 57 metals on a weakly acidic cation exchanger, carboxymethyl (CM) cellulose, has investigated systematically in sulfuric acid (0.01–1.0 M) and the acidic ammonium sulfate media. Thin-layer plates of a microcrystalline cellulose, Avicel SF, were also used to compare with the chromatographic behavior of the metals in the acidic sulfate system. The Rf values obtained for many metals tested on CM-cellulose plates increase with increasing concentration of sulfuric acid. Most of metals tested are distributed chromatographically on the CM-cellulose in the low acid concentration. The characteristic retention of many metals, including sulfato-complexes forming metals, on the CM-cellulose can be observed in ammonium sulfate solutions of a low concentration of the acid. Useful multicomponent separations of analytical interest on CM-cellulose layers are presented to demonstrate the use of Rf measurements for predicting separations in the acid and the acidic ammonium sulfate systems.     

Potential Vasculoprotective Effects of Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) Extract in Diabetic KK-Ay Mice

Polyphenols are bioactive compounds found naturally in fruits and vegetables; they are widely used in disease prevention and health maintenance. Polyphenol-rich blackcurrant extract (BCE) exerts beneficial effects on vascular health in menopausal model animals. However, the vasculoprotective effects in diabetes mellitus (DM) and atherosclerotic vascular disease secondary to DM are unknown. Therefore, we investigated whether BCE is effective in preventing atherosclerosis using KK-A^y mice as a diabetes model. The mice were divided into three groups and fed a high-fat diet supplemented with 1% BCE (BCE1), 3% BCE (BCE2), or Control for 9 weeks. The mice in the BCE2 group showed a considerable reduction in the disturbance of elastic lamina, foam cell formation, and vascular remodeling compared to those in the BCE1 and Control groups. Immunohistochemical staining indicated that the score of endothelial nitric oxide synthase staining intensity was significantly higher in both BCE2 (2.9) and BCE1 (1.9) compared to that in the Control (1.1). Furthermore, the score for the percentage of alpha-smooth muscle actin was significantly lower in the BCE2 (2.9%) than in the Control (2.1%). Our results suggest that the intake of anthocyanin-rich BCE could have beneficial effects on the blood vessels of diabetic patients.     

Catalytic [2+2+2] and thermal [4+2] cycloaddition of 1,2-bis(arylpropiolyl)benzenes

We have determined that a cationic rhodium(I)/Segphos complex catalyzes an enantio- and diastereoselective intermolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,2-bis(arylpropiolyl)benzenes with various monoalkynes at room temperature to give axially chiral 1,4-teraryls possessing an anthraquinone structure in good yields with good enantio- and diastereoselectivities. We have also determined that a thermal intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition of 1,2-bis(arylpropiolyl)benzenes proceeds at 60 degrees C to give aryl-substituted naphthacenediones in moderate to good yields.