Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 represent amino groups that substitute at adjacent positions on the benzene ring, wherein one of the amino groups may have one alkyl group; R3 and R4 represent hydrogen atom, a C1-6 alkyl group, or a C1-6 alkoxy group, R5 and R8 independently represent a C1-6 alkyl group, R6 and R9 represent a carboxy-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, a sulfo-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, or an alkyl sulfonate-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, and R7 and R10 represent a C1-6 alkyl group, an aryl group, a C1-6 alkoxycarbonyl group, a vinyl group, a thienyl group, or a pyrrolyl group, and an agent for measurement of nitrogen monoxide containing the compound. Said compound can give a fluorescent substance that is free from change in fluorescence intensity in a wide pH range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a diagnostic agent for an ischemic heart disease risk group comprising an anti-brain-derived neurotrophic factor antibody as an effective ingredient, to an assay method for an ischemic heart disease risk group performed by measuring a brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentration in blood, and to a suppressive/preventive drug for ischemic heart disease, particularly for post-infarction myocardial remodeling, comprising a brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Abstract: A method for measuring human CYP3A inducibility upon administration of a test drug, characterized in that a non-human animal to which a test drug is administered or a population of human cells cultured in a medium containing a test drug is infected with viruses (A) and (B); virus (A) being an adenovirus which is used as a vector and engineered by incorporating thereto a detectable reporter gene and at least 3 human PXR binding regions falling within an untranslated region of a human CYP3A gene, and virus (B) being an adenovirus which is used as a vector and engineered by incorporating thereto a human PXR cDNA; and subsequently expression level of the reporter gene is determined in the non-human animal or the cultured human cells.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 represent amino groups that substitute at adjacent positions on the benzene ring, wherein one of the amino groups may have one alkyl group; R3 and R4 represent hydrogen atom, a C1-6 alkyl group, or a C1-6 alkoxy group, R5 and R8 independently represent a C1-6 alkyl group, R6 and R9 represent a carboxy-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, a sulfo-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, or an alkyl sulfonate-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, and R7 and R10 represent a C1-6 alkyl group, an aryl group, a C1-6 alkoxycarbonyl group, a vinyl group, a thienyl group, or a pyrrolyl group, and an agent for measurement of nitrogen monoxide containing the compound. Said compound can give a fluorescent substance that is free from change in fluorescence intensity in a wide pH range.

Abstract: A method of lipid assay characterized by assaying the lipids contained in a blood component in the presence of an organic silicon compound. The method can cause specific conditions for direct methods while satisfying requirements such as no influence on precision of assay, no burden on assay apparatus, and easy availability.

Abstract: A D-aminoacylase having a high substrate specificity is provided. This D-aminoacylase can produce D-amino acids from N-acetyl-D,L-amino acids conveniently and efficiently at a low cost. A D-aminoacylase produced by a microorganism of genus Defluvibacter; which acts on a N-acetyl-D-amino acid; which has a molecular weight (as determined by electrophoresis) of about 55,000 daltons, and an isoelectric point (as determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis for denatured system) of 5.3; which acts on N-acetyl-D-valine, N-acetyl-D-leucine, and the like, but not on N-acetyl-L-valine, N-acetyl-L-leucine, and the like; which has an optimal temperature of 37° C. (pH 8) and an optimal pH value of 8 to 8.5 at 37° C.; and whose activity is inhibited by Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ each at 1 mmol/L, and by dithiothreitol, 2-mercaptoethanol, o-phenanthroline, and L-cysteine each at 5 mmol/L.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a luminescent polymer that is useful as a luminescent signal probe for labeling and detecting a target substance at high sensitivity in bioassay, and to provide the application of said luminescent polymer to bioassay. The luminescent polymer of the present invention comprises at least one biotin covalently attached to a polymer that includes monosaccharide or amino acid as a constituent monomer covalently attached to a luminescent substance. Preferably, two or more biotins are attached. Examples of the above-mentioned luminescent substance include cyanoisoindoles, luminols, and acridinium esters, and examples of the polymer include polysaccharides, polyamino acids, peptides, polypeptides, and proteins.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a diagnostic agent for an ischemic heart disease risk group comprising an anti-brain-derived neurotrophic factor antibody as an effective ingredient, to an assay method for an ischemic heart disease risk group performed by measuring a brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentration in blood, and to a suppressive/preventive drug for ischemic heart disease, particularly for post-infarction myocardial remodeling, comprising a brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Abstract: A method of lipid assay characterized by assaying the lipids contained in a blood component in the presence of an organic silicon compound. The method can cause specific conditions for direct methods while satisfying requirements such as no influence on precision of assay, no burden on assay apparatus, and easy availability.

Abstract: A method for measuring human CYP3A inducibility upon administration of a test drug, characterized in that anon-human animal to which a test drug is administered or a population of human cells cultured in a medium containing a test drug is infected with viruses (A) and (B); virus (A) being an adenovirus which is used as a vector and engineered by incorporating thereto a detectable reporter gene and at least 3 human PXR binding regions falling within an untranslated region of a human CYP3A gene, and virus (B) being an adenovirus which is used as a vector and engineered by incorporating thereto a human PXR cDNA; and subsequently expression level of the reporter gene is determined in the non-human animal or the cultured human cells.

Abstract: A method of estimating a risk of the expression of an adverse drug reaction caused by the administration of irinotecan, and a method of reducing the adverse drug reaction caused by the administration of irinotecan. A polymorphism on the basis of a difference in the repeating numbers of TA repetitive sequences in the promoter region of UGT1 gene and two types of polymorphisms (bases at the 211- and 686-positions) on the basis of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the exon 1 are analyzed. Based on the analytical data, the risk of the expression of an adverse drug reaction caused by the administration of irinotecan is estimated. Further, the administration doses of irinotecan is designed for individual patients depending on the risk of the expression of the adverse drub reaction, thereby reducing the adverse drug reaction caused by the administration of irinotecan.

Abstract: A method of measuring a lipid in a specific lipoprotein characterized by using a polycyclic polyoxyalkylene derivative at least in the step of determining the specificity of the measurement of the target lipid.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a monoclonal antibody against a soluble fibrin, which specifically recognizes a conformation-changed site newly occurred in a C-terminal region of an A?-chain of the soluble fibrin formed through thrombin digestion of fibrinogen. The present invention is also directed to a hybridoma which produces the antibody, an immunological assay method employing the antibody, and a method for evaluating hypercoagulability in a test sample by measuring the soluble fibrin level in the sample with the assay method. Through employment of the monoclonal antibody of the present invention, soluble fibrin on which plasmin has not acted, which reflects exclusively initial hypercoagulability, can be specifically detected.

Abstract: A method for quantitatively determining LDL cholesterol, including the steps of adding to serum a surfactant selected from among polyoxyethylenealkylene phenyl ethers and polyoxyethylenealkylene tribenzylphenyl ethers and a cholesterol-assaying enzyme reagent so as to preferentially react cholestrols in high density- and very low density-cholesterols among lipoproteins, and subsequently determining the amount of cholesterol that reacts thereafter. This method can eliminate the necessity for pretreatments such as centrifugation and electrophoresis, enables the quantitative determination to be conducted in an efficient, simple manner, and can be applied to various automatic analyzers.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of pretreating a sample for conveniently, quickly and accurately measuring the total amount of adiponectin present in a biological sample contaminated with various adiponectin multimers. The method of measuring an sample for immunologically assaying the total amount of adiponectin present in the sample comprises reacting, with an adiponectin-containing sample, at least one of a reducing agent, an acid or a salt thereof, a surfactant, and a protease.

Abstract: A method of measuring a lipid in a specific lipoprotein characterized by using a polycyclic polyoxyalkylene derivative at least in the step of determining the specificity of the measurement of the target lipid.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 represent amino groups that substitute at adjacent positions on the benzene ring, wherein one of the amino groups may have one alkyl group; R3 and R4 represent hydrogen atom, a C1-6 alkyl group, or a C1-6 alkoxy group, R9 and R8 independently represent a C1-6 alkyl group, R6 and R9 represent a carboxy-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, a sulfo-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, or an alkyl sulfonate-substituted C1-6 alkyl group, and R7 and R10 represent a C1-6 alkyl group, an aryl group, a C1-6 alkoxycarbonyl group, a vinyl group, a thienyl group, or a pyrrolyl group, and an agent for measurement of nitrogen monoxide containing the compound. Said compound can give a fluorescent substance that is free from change in fluorescence intensity in a wide pH range.

Abstract: Kits and methods for selectively assaying a target adiponectin multimer in a biological sample. Such methods accurately evaluate the relationship between a disease and adiponectin through selective assay of adiponectin multimers and provide information that cannot be obtained through measurement of the total amount of adiponectin alone. A method for selectively assaying a target adiponectin multimer in a biological sample comprising distinguishing target adiponectin multimer from the other adiponectin multimers by using a protease and/or an antibody.

Abstract: Methods for selectively assaying a target adiponectin multimer in a biological sample. Such methods accurately evaluate the relationship between a disease and adiponectin through selective assay of adiponectin multimers and provide information that cannot be obtained through measurement of the total amount of adiponectin alone. A method for selectively assaying of a target adiponectin multimer in a biological sample comprising distinguishing target adiponectin multimer from the other adiponectin multimers by using a protease and/or an antibody.

Abstract: A method for measuring hypochlorite ion, which comprises the steps of: (A) reacting, with hypochlorite ion, a compound represented by the following general formula (I): wherein R1 represents a 2-carboxyphenyl group which may be substituted; R2 represents a phenyl group which is substituted with a substituted or unsubstituted amino group; X1 and X2 each independently represents either hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; or a salt thereof; and (B) measuring fluorescence of a dearylated compound generated in the aforementioned step (A) or a salt thereof.