Abstract: Muscle degenerative diseases can be detected in the early stage and the therapeutic efficacy of a therapeutic agent and/or a therapy method for the diseases can be determined by measuring 11,15-dioxo-9?-hydroxy-2,3,4,5-tetranorprostan-1,20-dioic acid (referred to as “Tetranor-PGDM”, hereinbelow) in a sample isolated from a subject.

Abstract: The present invention provides an animal repellent comprising, as an active ingredient, a compound having an odor innately inducing fear in animals, which is free from acclimation of animals to the aforementioned odor. The present invention relates to animal repellent comprising, as an active ingredient, at least one kind selected from a heterocyclic compound represented by the formula (I): wherein ring A is a 3- to 7-membered heterocycle containing at least one hetero atom selected from a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom and an oxygen atom, and R1 and R2 are each independently hydrogen, a halogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, an optionally substituted alkoxy group, an acyl group, an optionally esterified carboxyl group, an optionally substituted thiol group, an optionally substituted amino group or an oxo group, or a salt thereof, a chain sulfide compound and alkyl isothiocyanate.

Abstract: Muscle degenerative diseases can be detected in the early stage and the therapeutic efficacy of a therapeutic agent and/or a therapy method for the diseases can be determined by measuring 11,15-dioxo-9?-hydroxy-2,3,4,5-tetranorprostan-1,20-dioic acid (referred to as “Tetranor-PGDM”, hereinbelow) in a sample isolated from a subject.

Abstract: The invention provides a sleep-improving agent and a sedative agent containing, as an active ingredient, oxypinnatanine or its derivative represented by the following chemical formula (I):

Abstract: In a method for automatically detecting degenerated regions in many stained thin section specimens (40), color region information is obtained on a degenerated region and on a non-degenerated region on image data of a standard specimen in a stained thin section slide. Next, color region information is obtained on a non-degenerated region on image data of a specimen. Next, the image data of the specimen is compared with the image data of the standard specimen to calculate a color correction quantity to match tone and brightness of the non-degenerated region in the specimen with the counterparts in the non-degenerated region in the standard specimen, and the image data of the specimen is corrected with the color correction quantity. Next, a degenerated region is extracted in the corrected image data of the specimen based on the color region information in the standard specimen.

Abstract: This invention provides a polypeptide useful in the field of medicines, a DNA which encodes the novel polypeptide, a recombinant DNA molecule which contains the DNA, a transformant transformed with the DNA or the recombinant DNA molecule, a process for the purification of the polypeptide, a process for the production of the polypeptide, an antibody which recognizes the polypeptide, an oligonucleotide complementary to the DNA and a screening method. Particularly this invention provides a polypeptide, which is Fas ligand or a fragment thereof. This polypeptide can be used as an effective ingredient of a medicament for regulating the apoptosis in a living body. This polypeptide is obtained by identifying a DNA fragment, which encodes the polypeptide, transforming a desired host with a recombinant DNA molecule, which contains the DNA fragment, and purifying the polypeptide produced by the resulting transformant.

Abstract: Provided are: a method for predicting the onset of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) by precisely detecting abnormalities that occur before the onset of PIH (where such abnormalities have been impossible to detect by various conventional testing methods for PIH) while imposing less of a burden on a subject; a method for evaluating a fetus and placental functions in PIH; and a method for detecting PIH, which comprises measuring the level of human lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) in a body fluid sample collected from a subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for differentiating demential diseases comprising measuring the concentration of human lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase in a sample of a body fluid collected from a subject and kits for differentiating demential diseases comprising an antibody specific to human lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method which is able to prevent or improve the progress of myolytic diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Such an object is able to be solved by a method where an effective dose of an inhibitor for hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (H-PGDS) or an antagonist to prostaglandin D receptor is administered to a patient who needs it. The present invention also provides a method for screening compounds which are able to prevent the progress of myolytic diseases and to improve it using human H-PGDS overexpressed transgenic mice.

Abstract: The present application provides a human gene over-expressing animal, which is a non-human animal carrying a human hematopoietic prostaglandin D2 synthase gene in its somatic cell chromosome and expressing a large amount of human prostaglandin D2 synthase, wherein the animal is one obtained through ontogenesis of a totipotency cell of a non-human animal or offspring of the obtained animal, and the totipotency cell is introduced with said synthase gene. The present application also provides a method of using the transgenic animal for testing in vivo activity of a candidate for anti-allergy medicines, sleep-controlling substances and candidates for anti-obesity.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method of diagnosing infection with Chagas disease by screening a trypanocidal drugs for Trypanosoma cruzi which is the pathogen of Chagas disease. Using a flavin protein TcOYE specific to Trypanosoma cruzi, a trypanocidal drugs effective against Trypanosoma cruzi is screened. Using the gene sequence of TcOYE and an antibody therefor, infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is diagnosed.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to methods of preventing and treating diseases wherein the involvement of apoptosis has been indicated.

Abstract: Abstract of the Disclosure This invention provides a novel polypeptide useful in the field of medicines, a novel DNA which encodes the novel polypeptide, a recombinant DNA molecule which contains the novel DNA, a transformant transformed with the novel DNA or the recombinant DNA molecule, a process for the purification of the novel polypeptide, a process for the production of the novel polypeptide, an antibody which recognize the novel polypeptide, an oligonucleotide complementary to the novel DNA and a novel screening method. Particularly this invention provides a novel polypeptide which is Fas ligand or a fragment thereof. This novel polypeptide can be used as an effective ingredient of a medicament for regulating the apoptosis in a living body.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method which is able to prevent or improve the progress of myolytic diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Such an object is able to be solved by a method where an effective dose of an inhibitor for hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (H-PGDS) or an antagonist to prostaglandin D receptor is administered to a patient who needs it. The present invention also provides a method for screening compounds which are able to prevent the progress of myolytic diseases and to improve it using human H-PGDS overexpressed transgenic mice.

Abstract: A novel antimalarial agent. It is a medical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a compound represented by the general formula (I), wherein R1 to R12 is independently, hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy, amino or acylamino.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel Fas antigen derivative which comprises at least a part or entire portion of Fas antigen extracellular region polypeptide in which at least one amino acid residue is deleted from a group of amino acid residues starting from the N-terminal amino acid residue of the Fas antigen polypeptide to a cysteine residue most close to the N-terminal side (excluding said cysteine residue), as well as a DNA fragment which encodes said Fas antigen derivative, a recombinant DNA molecule which contains said DNA sequence, a transformant in which said recombinant DNA molecule is introduced, a method for the production of said Fas antigen derivative, a medicament which contains said novel Fas antigen derivative as the active ingredient and a method for the improvement of activities and functions of Fas antigen and the like.

Abstract: DNAs coding for human cell surface antigen (Fas or Fas antigen), vectors for expressing for said DNAs and transformants transfected with said vector are proveded. Fas is a polypeptide that exists in the surfaces of a variety of cells and is considered to be deeply concerned with the apoptosis of cells. The isolated Fas cDNA has an open reading frame that is capable of encoding a protein consisting of 335 amino acids. The mature Fas antigen is a protein consisting of 319 amino acids having a calculated molecular weight of about 36,000 and is constituted by an extracellular domain of 157 amino acids, a membrane-spanning domain of 17 amino acids, and a cytoplasmic domain of 145 amino acids.

Abstract: A method for screening substances which are useful as effective components of prophylactic or therapeutic drug for neurodegenerative diseases caused by the binding of an aberrant protein and a valosin-containing protein, wherein the aberrant protein and the valosin-containing protein and the candidate substance are made to coexist, and the substance that shows inhibitory action on the binding of the aberrant protein and the valosin-containing protein is identified, is provided.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel polypeptide useful in the field of medicines, a novel DNA which encodes the novel polypeptide, a recombinant DNA molecule which contains the novel DNA, a transformant transformed with the novel DNA or the recombinant DNA molecule, a process for the purification of the novel polypeptide, a process for the production of the novel polypeptide, an antibody which recognizes the novel polypeptide, an oligonucleotide complementary to the novel DNA and a novel screening method. Particularly this invention provides a novel polypeptide which is Fas ligand or a fragment thereof. This novel polypeptide can be used as an effective ingredient of a medicament for regulating the apoptosis in a living body. This novel polypeptide is obtained by identifying a DNA fragment which encodes the novel polypeptide, transforming a desired host with a recombinant DNA molecule which contains the DNA fragment and purifying the novel polypeptide produced by the resulting transformant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a neurodegenerative disease therapeutic agent containing as its active ingredient a (15R)-isocarbacycline derivative indicated by the following formula [I] or a 15-deoxy-isocarbacycline derivative indicated by the following formula [III]: (wherein, R1 represents a C1-C6 alkylene group, and R2 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C7, alkyl group or protective group); or, (wherein, R1 and R2 are the same as those defined in formula [I]).