Abstract: A method for producing a composition containing carotenoid at a content of 80% or greater, characterized in performing extraction on a culture of a microorganism, a concentrate of the culture, or a dried substance thereof with at least one selected from the group consisting of lower alcohols, water-containing lower alcohols, lower dialkylketones and ethers; and then washing a precipitate, obtained by concentrating the extract solution, with at least one selected from the group consisting of lower alcohols, water-containing lower alcohols, hydrocarbon-based solvents and lower dialkylketones; and food, a pharmaceutical composition or a cosmetic substance comprising the carotenoid-containing composition.

Abstract: Provided are compounds represented by the following formula (A-1) and formula (1), or salts thereof. The compounds of formula (A-1) and formula (1) or salts thereof have 133 adrenergic receptor agonist activity, and thus are useful as therapeutic and prophylactic agent for diabetes mellitus, obesity, hyperlipidemia, depression, diseases caused by gallstones or hypermotility of the biliary tract, diseases caused by hyperactivity of the digestive tract, interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder or urinary incontinence, or as therapeutic and prophylactic agents for diseases concomitant with decreased tears.

Abstract: Compounds represented by the Formula (A-1) and the Formula (1) or salt thereof are provided. The compounds represented by the Formula (A-1) and the Formula (1) or salt thereof have a ?3 adrenergic receptor agonist activity, and therefore are useful as an agent for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, depression, biliary stone, a disorder derived from hyperactivity of biliary tract, a disorder derived from hyperactivity of digestive tract, interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence or a disorder derived from decreased tear secretion, etc.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a therapeutically effective agent for therapy and/or improvement of DIC, or a method for treating and/or improving DIC. The present invention provides an agent for therapy and/or improvement of disseminated intravascular coagulation comprising thrombomodulin as an active ingredient, which is administered to antithrombin-reduced patients having a low plasma antithrombin activity of less than 50%.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to obtain a soluble thrombomodulin substantially not containing a denatured product of soluble thrombomodulin that may be generated under acidic conditions.

Abstract: Fasudil-containing preparations that despite the us of a container excelling in the visibility of contents without particularly blocking of light, exhibit high stability against light; and a method of improving the stability of the preparations against light of storing the same. By regulating the pH value of aqueous solution of fasudil charged in a colorless transparent container to ?5.5, there can be provided fasudil-containing preparations excelling in stability against light; and can be provided a method of improving the stability of the aqueous solution of fasudil against light, or storing the same.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (1) [A represents a nitrogen-containing saturated ring; m represents an integer of 0 to 2; n represents an integer of 1 to 4; G1 represents hydrogen atom, chlorine atom, hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, or amino group; G2 represents a halogen atom, hydroxyl group, cyano group, carboxy group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, and the like; G3 represents hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxyl group, cyano group, carboxy group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, and the like; G4 represents hydroxyl group, or —N(R1)(R2) (R1 and R2 represent hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, or a saturated heterocyclic group); G5 is a substituent on a ring-constituting carbon atom of A, and represents hydrogen atom, fluorine atom, or an alkyl group] or a salt thereof, or a derivative thereof that is a prodrug, which potently inhibits Rho kinase.

Abstract: A compound represented by the following general formula (1) or a salt thereof, which has superior inhibitory activity against type 4 PLA2, and thus has prostaglandin and/or leucotriene production suppressing action [X represents a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may be substituted, or the like, Y represents hydrogen atom or an alkyl group which may be substituted, and Z represents hydrogen atom or an alkyl group which may be substituted].

Abstract: Provided is an anti-fatigue agent or a physical endurance enhancer or a functional food having an anti-fatigue effect or a physical endurance-enhancing effect. Specifically provided are: a composition comprising phosphatidylinositol and coenzyme Q10; an anti-fatigue agent or a physical endurance enhancer comprising phosphatidylinositol and coenzyme Q10 as active ingredients; a functional food having an anti-fatigue effect or a physical endurance-enhancing effect, which comprises the compounds as active ingredients; use of phosphatidylinositol and coenzyme Q10 for the preparation of a composition having an anti-fatigue effect or a physical endurance-enhancing effect; and a method of enhancing an anti-fatigue effect or physical endurance, which includes ingesting a composition comprising those compounds as active ingredients.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (I): [In the formula, Link represents a saturated or unsaturated straight hydrocarbon chain having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, C2 to C6 in the aromatic ring (E) independently represent a ring-constituting carbon atom, one of the ring-constituting carbon atoms may be replaced with V, V represents nitrogen atom, or carbon atom substituted with Zx, Zx represents a saturated alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and the like, Rs represents -D-Rx etc., D represents a single bond, oxygen atom and the like, Rx represents a saturated alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and the like, AR represents a partially unsaturated or completely unsaturated condensed bicyclic carbon ring or a heterocyclic ring, and Y represents hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and the like] or a salt thereof. A compound having prostaglandin production-suppressing action and leukotriene production-suppressing action is provided.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound represented by the general formula (I): or a salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the composition does not substantially contain a reducing sugar and/or a carrier containing a reducing sugar as an ingredient as the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, or when the composition contains a reducing sugar and/or a carrier containing a reducing sugar as an ingredient as the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, contact of the reducing sugar and the compound represented by the general formula (I) or a salt thereof is eliminated.

Abstract: Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds represented by the following Formula (1) are provided. The compounds or salts thereof have a strong EP1 antagonistic activity when they are administered to a human or an animal, and they are useful as an effective component of a pharmaceutical agent for prophylaxis and/or treatment of an overactive bladder, for example. Furthermore, they are useful as an effective component of a pharmaceutical agent for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of symptoms including frequent urination, urinary urgency and urinary incontinence.

Abstract: A nitrogen-containing bicyclic heterocyclic compound represented by the following formula (1) is provided. When the compound or a salt thereof is administered to a human being or an animal, the compound has a strong antagonistic action against EP1 receptors, and is useful, for example, as an active ingredient of a medicine for the prevention and/or treatment of overactive bladder. The compound is also useful as an active ingredient of a medicine for the prevention and/or treatment of symptoms such as frequency urinary, urinary urgency, or urinary incontinence.

Abstract: The sulfoneamide compounds having the following Formula (1), which can be used as an effective component of a CaSR antagonizing agent useful for prophylaxis and/or treatment of bone disorders including osteoporosis and etc., are provided. The compounds have an excellent activity of promoting PTH secretion. In addition, the compounds are useful as an effective component of a medicament for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of bone disorders such as osteoporosis, bone fracture, hypoparathyroidism and the like.

Abstract: There is provided a method for specifically determining a glycated ?-chain N-terminal of glycated hemoglobin using enzymes without a separation operation, and a determination reagent kit therefor. A protease that cleaves a glycated amino acid and/or a glycated peptide from a glycated ?-chain N-terminal without substantially cleaving a glycated amino acid or a glycated peptide from a glycated ?-chain N-terminal of glycated hemoglobin or a fragment thereof is screened. The method of specifically determining a glycated ?-chain N-terminal of glycated hemoglobin and the determination reagent kit are provided by using the protease obtained by the screening method. According to the present invention, a glycated ?-chain N-terminal of glycated hemoglobin can specifically be determined without a separation operation.

Abstract: Provided are proteins having NF-?B activity, which are used for diagnosing, treating or preventing diseases associated with the excessive activation or inhibition of NF-?B. Using plasmid pNF ?B-Luc, cDNA encoding a protein capable of activating NF-?B has been cloned from a cDNA library constructed from human lung fibroblasts, and the DNA sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence determined. The protein, the DNA encoding the protein, a recombinant vector containing the DNA, and a transformant containing the recombinant vector are useful for screening a substance inhibiting or promoting NF-?B activation.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide novel compounds that are S1P1 receptor agonists and exhibit an immunosuppressive activities by inducing lymphocyte sequestration in secondary lymphoid tissues. In addition, to provide a pharmaceutical agent which comprises the compounds as an effective component, in particular to provide a therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent for an autoimmune disease and the like.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (1) [A represents a nitrogen-containing saturated ring; m represents an integer of 0 to 2; n represents an integer of 1 to 4; G1 represents hydrogen atom, chlorine atom, hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, or amino group; G2 represents a halogen atom, hydroxyl group, cyano group, carboxy group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, and the like; G3 represents hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxyl group, cyano group, carboxy group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, and the like; G4 represents hydroxyl group, or —N(R1)(R2) (R1 and R2 represent hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, or a saturated heterocyclic group); G5 is a substituent on a ring-constituting carbon atom of A, and represents hydrogen atom, fluorine atom, or an alkyl group] or a salt thereof, or a derivative thereof that is a prodrug, which potently inhibits phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain.

Abstract: Compounds of the general formula (I): or a salt thereof, wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or the like; R2 is NHSO2R3 or the like; R3 is a (C1-C6)alkyl group or the like; R5 is a hydrogen atom or the like; R6 and R7 may be the same or different and are each independently a hydrogen atom or the like; X is an oxygen atom or the like; Y is an oxygen atom or the like; Z1 to Z6 are a carbon atom or the like; n is an integer of 0 to 6; *1 is an asymmetric carbon atom; and *2 is an asymmetric carbon atom when R5 is other than a hydrogen atom.

Abstract: Provided is a novel and useful method of measuring pyrophosphate in a sample. There may be provided a novel and useful method of measuring pyrophosphate in a sample using pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase, nicotinamide-nucleotide adenylyltransferase, and dehydrogenase.