OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitory effects of CT-II, extract of Nomame Herba, on lipase activity in vitro and on obesity in rats fed a high-fat diet in vivo. DESIGN: The assay for the inhibitory effect of CT-II on lipase activity was performed by measuring released free fatty acids after the incubation of the medium with CT-II, porcine pancreatic lipase and triolein (experiment 1). In vivo experiments, lean rats or obese rats (570 ± 718 g) were fed a high-fat diet containing 60% fat with or without CT-II for 8 weeks (experiment 2), for 14 days (experiment 3) or for 12 weeks (experiment 4), respectively. MEASUREMENT: The time course of body weight, food intake, organ weight (parametrial fat, liver, heart and kidney) and plasma parameters (triglyceride, total cholesterol, glucose, AST, ALT and insulin), fecal output of total fat and total cholesterol were measured. Hepatic histological examinations were also performed. RESULTS: CT-II inhibited the porcine lipase activity dose-dependently in vitro (experiment 1). Body and liver weight were reduced and hepatic histological examination showed an amelioration of fatty liver in CT II treated animals (experiment 2). CT-II signi®cantly inhibited body weight gain and plasma triglyceride elevation in a dose-dependent manner, without affecting food intake in lean rats fed the high-fat diet. Elevated plasma AST and ALT were also decreased (experiment 3). When obese rats fed the high-fat diet were treated with CT-II for up to 6 months, body weight was initially reduced and thereafter weight gain was signi®cantly suppressed. Total body fat was also signi®cantly reduced and signi®cant reduction of plasma AST and ALT was observed (experiment 4). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that the lipase inhibitor CT-II is effective in preventing and ameliorating obesity, fatty liver and hypertriglyceridemia in rats fed a high-fat diet.

SUMMARY:Recent studies revealed that the "radial glia" in fetal rodent brains are dividing neuronal precursor cells. However, in fetal primate brains, this issue remains unclear, with previous reports indicating that radial glia are a specialized form of astroglia. To investigate the relationship between radial fibers (RFs) and neural stem/progenitor cells in the fetal human brain, we generated polyclonal antibodies to human nestin protein and developed a new mAb, KNY-379, by screening for antibodies that immunostained RFs on paraffin-embedded human fetal brain specimens (12 gestational weeks). The immunostaining for KNY-379 antigen and nestin was seen over the RFs in brains at 8 gestational weeks. Furthermore, KNY-379 antigen and nestin were also detected in human neural stem/progenitor cells in neurosphere cultures. At 12 to 15 gestational weeks, the KNY-379 immunostaining of RFs remained in the periventricular zone and the deep part of the intermediate zone, but it also appeared in outgrowing axons in the cortical plate, in the superficial portion of the intermediate zone, and in apical dendrites in the molecular layer. In the later stages of fetal development (18 -40 gestational weeks), this antigen remained in the outgrowing axons and dendrites, but was no longer associated with RFs. Expression cloning and immunoblot analysis demonstrated the antigen to be tubulin beta II, which would thus be a good marker for studying RFs and neural stem/progenitor cells in the early developing human brain. (Lab Invest 2003, 83:479 -489).

The near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu is expected to contain volatile chemical species that could provide information on the origin of Earth’s volatiles. Samples of Ryugu were retrieved by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We measure noble gas and nitrogen isotopes in Ryugu samples, finding they are dominated by pre-solar and primordial components, incorporated during Solar System formation. Noble gas concentrations are higher than those in Ivuna-type carbonaceous (CI) chondrite meteorites. Several host phases of isotopically distinct nitrogen have heterogeneous abundances between the samples. Our measurements support a close relationship between Ryugu and CI chondrites. Noble gases produced by galactic cosmic rays, indicating ~5 Myr exposure, and from implanted solar wind, record the recent irradiation history of Ryugu after it migrated to its current orbit.

D2-40 antibody is raised against an oncofetal antigen, the M2A antigen. It has been used as a marker for lymphatic endothelium as well as mesothelioma and cerebellar hemangioblastoma. We demonstrate here that positive D2-40 immunoreactivity was found in the developing cerebrum, particularly in the germinal matrix layer, immature ependyma, choroid plexus and meninges. In the developing cerebellum, positive D2-40 immunoreactivity was found in the external granular layer particularly of the outer portion and the Purkinje cell layer as well as meninges. Some brain tumors such as anaplastic ependymoma, some medulloblastomas, glioblastoma, pineal germinoma, craniopharyngioma, choroid plexus papilloma, choroid plexus carcinoma, and meningioma showed positive immunoreactivity with D2-40. Therefore, D2-40 antibody is considered a useful marker for research on developing brain and diagnosis of brain tumors, differentiation between choroid plexus carcinoma and metastatic carcinoma. In addition, on cultured human neural cells, D2-40 immunoreactivity was found in nestin-positive neural stem/progenitor cells and neuronal lineage cells. As D2-40 antibody recognizes cell surface antigen M2A, it might be a candidate cell surface marker for isolation of human neural stem cells/ neuronal lineage cells in the fluorescence-activated cell sorting technique.