Satoshi Fukumoto

We studied whether physiological concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) affects colonic transit and colonic motility in conscious rats. Intraluminal administration of SCFAs (100-200 mM) into the proximal colon significantly accelerated colonic transit. The stimulatory effect of SCFAs on colonic transit was abolished by perivagal capsaicin treatment, atropine, hexamethonium, and vagotomy, but not by guanethidine. The stimulatory effect of SCFAs on colonic transit was also abolished by i

Tooth morphogenesis results from reciprocal interactions between oral epithelium and ectomesenchyme culminating in the formation of mineralized tissues, enamel, and dentin. During this process, epithelial cells differentiate into enamel-secreting ameloblasts. Ameloblastin, an enamel matrix protein, is expressed by differentiating ameloblasts. Here, we report the creation of ameloblastin-null mice, which developed severe enamel hypoplasia. In mutant tooth, the dental epithelium differentiated int

Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions regulate the growth and morphogenesis of ectodermal organs such as teeth. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a part of dental mesenchyme, derived from the cranial neural crest, and differentiate into dentin forming odontoblasts. However, the interactions between DPSCs and epithelium have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we established a mouse dental pulp stem cell line (SP) comprised of enriched side population cells that displayed a multipotent cap

Type 5052 aluminium alloy was joined to type 304 austenitic stainless steel via a continuous drive friction welding process. The joint strength increased, and then decreased after reaching a maximum value, with increasing friction time. Joint strength depended on the size and shape of the tensile testpiece. Friction weldability could be estimated by electrical resistmetry. The process of friction welding between the aluminium alloy and the stainless steel is proposed to evolve as follows: weldin

A rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) transfected with ganglioside GD3 synthase gene showed a marked change in the ganglioside profile and enhanced proliferation and no response of neurite extension to nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulation. In these transfectant cells, a continuous phosphorylation of TrkA and the activation of ERK1/2 without NGF treatment were observed. Proliferation inhibition experiments with kinase inhibitors such as herbimycin A, K-252a, and PD98059 revealed that the enhan

In tooth development, the oral ectoderm and mesenchyme coordinately and reciprocally interact through the basement membrane for their growth and differentiation to form the proper shape and size of the tooth. Laminin alpha5 subunit-containing laminin-10/11 (LM-511/521) is the major laminin in the tooth germ basement membrane. Here, we have examined the role of laminin alpha5 (Lama5) in tooth development using laminin alpha5-null mouse primary dental epithelium and tooth germ organ cultures. Lama

During tooth development, dental epithelial cells interact with extracellular matrix components, such as the basement membrane and enamel matrix. Ameloblastin, an enamel matrix protein, plays a crucial role in maintaining the ameloblast differentiation state and is essential for enamel formation. Ameloblastin-null mice developed severe enamel hypoplasia. In mutant mice, dental epithelial cells started to differentiate into ameloblasts, but ameloblasts soon lost cell polarity, proliferated, and f

A coordinated reciprocal interaction between epithelium and mesenchyme is involved in salivary gland morphogenesis. The submandibular glands (SMGs) of Wnt1-Cre/R26R mice have been shown positive for mesenchyme, whereas the epithelium is beta-galactosidase-negative, indicating that most mesenchymal cells are derived from cranial neural crest cells. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor alpha is one of the markers of neural crest-derived cells. In this study, we analyzed the roles of PDGF

Friction welding was carried out between TiNi alloy and austenitic stainless steel with and without a Ni interlayer. When TiNi alloy was welded to stainless steel without the Ni interlayer, a large amount of brittle Fe 2 Ti intermetallic compound was formed at the weld interface. The formation of this brittle compound led to degradation of the joint strength. The Ni interlayer changed the microstructures at the weld interface and improved the joint strength. A fracture occurred at the interface

Mineralized tissues are unique in that they use proteins to attract and organize calcium and phosphate ions into a structured mineral phase, thus precise knowledge of the expression and extracellular distribution of matrix proteins is very important to understand their function. Tooth development is regulated by sequential and reciprocal interactions between neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells and the oral environment. However, the precise molecular mechanisms that mediate interactions betwee

Expression cloning of a cDNA for the alpha2,3-sialyltransferase (GM3 synthase) (EC 2.4.99.-) gene was performed using a GM3-lacking mouse fibroblast line L cell and anti-GM3 monoclonal antibody. Plasmids from a cDNA library generated with poly(A)+ RNA of a mouse fibrosarcoma line CMS5j and pdl3027 (polyoma T antigen) were co-transfected into L cells. The isolated cDNA clone pM3T-7 predicted a type II membrane protein with 13 amino acids of cytoplasmic domain, 17 amino acids of transmembrane regi