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 a pretreatment of a sample for quantitating cholesterol characterized by, before measuring cholesterol contained in specific lipoproteins, treating the sample containing lipoproteins with an enzyme, the substrate of which is free cholesterol, optionally together with a reaction accelerator; a method for quantitating cholesterol in specific lipoproteins by using the above method; and a kit for quantitating cholesterol in specific lipoproteins to be used in the above quantification method. By using this quantification method, cholesterol in a specific fraction can be conveniently, accurately and efficiently quantitated fundamentally without resort to polyanion, etc. Thus, this method is appropriately usable in various automatic analyzers.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method of assessing cancerous conditions, which is useful in diagnosing cancer in a therapy or a preventive therapy for cancer diseases or a maintenance therapy therefor, and a reagent for detecting a gene product to be used in the above method. The cancerous conditions of a human-origin specimen is assessed by using, as an indication, the content of a gene product, which shows an increase or a decrease in the expression thereof due to an unusual alternative splicing, from gene products obtained from human PTCH1 gene contained in the human-origin specimen.

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: The present invention relates to a test piece having a simple structure, by which HDL cholesterol can be measured easily using a small amount of specimen. A reagent layer (2) is formed on a support (1), and an enzyme reagent for measuring cholesterol, a first surfactant that makes a solubility of a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) higher than that of a lipoprotein other than the HDL, and a second surfactant that inhibits the lipoprotein other than the HDL from dissolving are contained in the reagent layer (2).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a highly functional mediator capable of smoothly proceeding electron transfer between an electrode and a biocatalyst based on the premise that the mediator excels in safety and cost and to provide an electrode and a cell with sufficient amount of such a mediator molecule immobilized efficiently and strongly. The present invention provides a mediator mediating electron transfer between an enzyme and an electrode and containing a quinone molecule derivative, in particular, a mediator containing a VK3 derivative. In addition, the present invention provides an electrode and a biofuel cell to which those mediators are applied.

Abstract: A fluorescent probe which is represented by the following formula (I): (wherein, R1 and R2 represent hydrogen atom, or a substituent for trapping proton, a metal ion, or an active oxygen species, or the like; R3 represents a monovalent substituent; R4 and R5 represent hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; R6 represents hydrogen atom, an alkylcarbonyl group, or an alkylcarbonyloxymethyl group, provided that a combination of R1, R2, and R3 provides (1) substantially high electron density of the benzene ring to which said groups bind, so that the compound represented by the formula (I) is substantially no fluorescent before the trapping of proton, or the like, and (2) substantially reduced electron density of the benzene ring to which said groups bind, so that a compound after the trapping, which is derived from the compound represented by the formula (I) is substantially highly fluorescent after the trapping of proton or the like). A fluorescent probe having an excellent fluorescence property is provided.

Abstract: A physiologically active polypeptide derived from human brain and a DNA fragment comprising the base sequence encoding the polypeptide are disclosed. The polypeptide possesses excellent smooth muscle relaxation activity, diuretic or natriuretic activity, and vasodepressor activity, and is thus useful as a medicine for curing circulation diseases, e.g. cardiac edema, nephric edema, hepatic edema, pulmonary edema, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and acute and chronic renal failure.

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 cholesterols 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: 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: DNA amplification and hybridization are successively carried out in a reaction system containing primers for the DNA amplification and hybridization probes, followed by detecting the hybrid in the reaction solution by affinity chromatography, wherein at least one of the primers to be used in the DNA amplification is labeled with a first labeling agent so that the amplified DNA will be labeled with the first labeling agent, a hybridization probe is labeled with a second labeling agent and contained in a reaction solution for effecting the DNA amplification, the base sequence of the hybridization probe is designed not to inhibit the DNA amplification, and a hybrid is detected by affinity chromatography with the use of the first and second labeling agents.

Abstract: Noble crystal of 4-dimethylamino-4-stilbazolium tosylate (DAST) useful as an electro-optical element. A DAST crystal having a size effective for use as an electro-optical element is provided by a twin crystal of DAST. The twin crystal of DAST can be obtained according to a seed crystallization method or a slope crystal growing method.

Abstract: A method of immunologically examining a specimen which comprises attaching a cap having a filter impregnated with a labeled antibody enclosed therein to a container body containing a diluted liquid specimen, pouring the diluted liquid specimen from the container into a test device, observing the reaction and thus examining the presence or absence of an analyte in the specimen. This examination method, whereby effects of differences among individual operators can be minimized and the occurrence of a nonspecific reaction can be prevented, is highly excellent in the reproducibility of the examination results and storage stability of a test reagent. A specimen container to be used in the above method to which a cap having a filter impregnated with a labeled antibody enclosed therein is attached. This container is appropriately usable as a member constituting a simplified diagnosis kit.

Abstract: A compound represented by the following general formula (I) or a salt thereof: wherein R1 represents hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, or hydroxy group; R2 represents a group represented by the following formula (A): wherein X1 to X4 represent hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or 2-pyridylmethyl group, and m and n represent 0 or 1; Y represents a single bond or —CO—; R3 represents a carboxy-substituted aryl group, a carboxy-substituted heteroaryl group, benzothiazol-2-yl group, or 5-oxo-2-thioxo-4-imidazolyzinylidenmethyl group], and a fluorescent probe for zinc which comprises said compound or a salt thereof.

Abstract: A method of storing/stabilizing an oxidizable color-assuming reagent, especially a leuco dye; and a stabilized reagent obtained thereby. The method of stabilizing an oxidizable color-assuming reagent comprises storing the oxidizable color-assuming reagent in a solution having a pH of 1 to 5.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for precisely predicting the metabolism of a drug in human liver and the effect of the drug on liver function. The invention provides a method for predicting a metabolite of a test substance produced in human liver and functions of the liver, wherein the method includes administering a test substance to a nonhuman chimeric animal and a non-chimeric animal of the same species, wherein the chimeric animal intracorporeally carries a population of human-origin hepatocytes having proliferation potential and in which the hepatocyte, population substantially functions as the liver of the chimeric animal, and wherein these animals are protected from the attack by a human complement produced by the hepatocytes; and analyzing and comparing metabolites from the chimeric animal and the non-chimeric animal.

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.

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: The present invention is directed to a defructosylation enzyme originating from a plant, a method of defructosylating a fructosylated peptide or protein through use of the enzyme, and a method of measuring a fructosylated peptide or protein.

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.