Abstract: A novel polypeptide having a cell death inhibitory activity and use thereof is provided. The polypeptide and the polynucleotide encoding it can be used as a diagnostic, therapeutic or prophylactic agent for various diseases and disorders. Certain suitable diseases and disorders which may be diagnosed, treated, or prevented with the polypeptide and the polynucleotide encoding it are selected from neurodegenerative diseases, brain dysfunctions, cancers, immunological disease, infections, gastrointestinal diseases, circulatory diseases, and endocrine diseases. The polypeptide and the polynucleotide encoding it can be used as a cell death inhibitor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to use of peptide to which G-protein coupled receptor protein recognizes as a ligand. Since the ligand polypeptide of the present invention has a stimulating action on oxytocin secretion, it is useful as a drug for ameliorating, preserving or treating various diseases related to oxytocin secretion such as uterine inertia, atonic hemorrhage, placental expulsion, subinvolution and the like.

Abstract: To provide an aqueous emulsion composition which has high adhesion strength for a wide variety of materials including molded products and affords sufficient wettability even for the object to be adhesive bonded of low surface polarity so that it can develop sufficient adhesiveness and whose emulsion is stable so satisfactorily as to provide good mechanical stability and storage stability, and to provide an adherent composition comprising the aqueous emulsion composition, at least ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer or modified resin thereof, photo polymerization initiator, and unsaturated ethylenic monomer are mixed and dissolved or dispersed, to prepare oil drop component, followed by emulsifying the oil drop component in water by using a surface-active agent, whereby an aqueous emulsion composition, in which micelles each encapsulating at least the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer or modified resin thereof, the photo polymerization initiator and unsaturated ethylenic monomer are dispersed in water, is prepared

Abstract: A compound of the formula: wherein R1 and R2 each is H or a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted, or R1 and R2 form a 3- to 8-membered carbo or heterocyclic ring which may be substituted; R3 is H, a lower alkyl which may be substituted or an aromatic group which may be substituted; R4 is (1) an aromatic group which may be substituted, (2) an aliphatic hydrocarbon group substituted by an aromatic group which may be substituted, which hydrocarbon group may be further substituted or (3) an acyl; X and Y each is oxygen or sulfur which may be oxidized; and ring A is a benzene ring which may be further substituted, or a salt thereof, is useful for an agent for suppressing neurodegeneration.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel metalloprotease having a proteolytic activity, its partial peptide or a salt either of them, a DNA coding for the protein, a recombinant vector comprising the DNA, a transformant carrying the recombinant vector, a process for producing the protein, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the DNA, an antibody against the protein, a method for screening for a compound which activates or inhibits a proteolytic activity of the protein, a kit for screening for the compound, and a compound which activates or inhibits a proteolytic activity of the protein which is identified by the screening method or the kit. The DNA coding for the protein of the present invention can be used as a therapeutic and prophylactic composition for a variety of diseases including diabetic nephropathy, glomerulonephritis, pulmonary fibrosis, hepatolienal fibrosis, hepatocirrhosis, osteopetrosis and herniated disk.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for screening a compound or its salt that alters the binding property between MCH or its salt and SLC-1 or its salt, characterized by using MCH or its derivative or a salt thereof and SLC-1 or its salt is useful for screening an SLC-1 agonist which can be used not only as an appetite (eating) promoting agent but also as a prophylactic/therapeutic agent for weak pains, atonic bleeding, before and after expulsion, subinvolution of uterus, cesarean section, induced abortion, galactostasis, and the like, and an SLC-1 antagonist which can be used not only as an antiobestic agents (drug), an appetite (eating) modulator, and the like, but also as a prophylactic/therapeutic agent for hyperstimulation, ankylosing uterine contractions, fetal distress, uterine rupture, cervical laceration, preterm delivery, Prader-Wili syndrome and the like.

Abstract: A polyurethane resin having a total concentration of the urethane group and the urea group of not less than 15% by weight is prepared by reacting a diisocyanate component (e.g., an aromatic diisocyanate) with a diol component (e.g., a C2–8alkylene glycol). The repeating unit of the polyurethane resin may contain a constitutive unit of an aromatic or alicyclic compound. The polyurethane resin may be shaped into a film for use as a gas barrier film. The film may be a gas barrier composite film composed of a base film layer and a resin layer at least comprising the polyurethane resin. The present invention provides a polyurethane resin excellent in gas barrier properties against water vapor, oxygen, aromatics, and others, and a film containing the same.

Abstract: Adhesive composition and a flexible packaging composite film that can produce a reduced amount of low-molecular-weight compounds eluted into contents of a composite film to prevent spoilage of inherent properties or performances of the contents, can produce improved oil resistance to prevent significant reduction in strength even when used for oily contents, and can develop favorable flexibility of the composite film to prevent reduction in peel strength. Polyester polyamide polyol and/or polyurethane polyester polyamide polyol including an amide bond produced by reaction between a dimer acid and polyamine is prepared as a polyol component and also concentration of a cyclic compound formed by the amide bond and/or an ester bond in extracted water which is extracted from a composite film adhesively bonded by the adhesive composition by water of 0.5 mL/cm2 per unit area of the composite film is set to be 0.

Abstract: Novel proteins of the present invention that have an organic anion transport activity are useful as, for example, a diagnostic marker for kidney diseases, liver diseases, pancreas diseases, immunological diseases associated with thymus failures, reproductive diseases, digestive diseases, spleen diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, myelitis, diabetes, hypertension, reperfusion injury following ischemia, retinitis, central nervous diseases, skin diseases, thyroid hormone-associated diseases, etc. Compounds that promote or inhibit the activity of the above protein, which are obtained by a screening method using the protein, can be used as, for example, prophylactic/therapeutic agents for the above-described diseases.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound represented by Formula: wherein ring A and ring B may be same or different and each is an optionally substituted homocyclic or heterocyclic ring and the like, each R1 may be same or different and is a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an acyl group, an optionally substituted heterocyclic group or SR2, etc., X1 is a bond, an optionally substituted divalent C1-3 aliphatic hydrocarbon group or —NR3—, etc, X2 is a bond, an optionally substituted divalent C1-3 aliphatic hydrocarbon group, —NR4—, —O— or —S(O)p— (wherein p is 0, 1 or 2), each Y may be same or different and is a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, a halogen atom, a carboxyl group, an acyl group, an optionally substituted hydroxy group, an optionally substituted amino group, SR5, an oxo group, a thioxo group, an optionally substituted imino group, a nitro group, a cyano group, etc.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thienopyrimidine compound, represented by the formula [wherein, R1 is C1-4 alkyl, R2 is (1) phenyl optionally having a substituent such as amino, mono C1-4 alkylamino and di C1-4 alkylamino, or (2) a heterocyclic group optionally having a substituent such as amino, mono C1-4 alkylamino and di C1-4 alkylamino and the like, R3 is a hydrogen atom or C1-4 alkyl, R4 is C1-4 alkyl optionally having a substituent such as C1-4 alkoxy-carbonyl, carboxyl, mono C1-4 alkylamino and N—C1-4 alkyl-N—C7-10 aralkylamino and the like] or a salt thereof, which has antagonistic action for gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

Abstract: A compound, which has a melanin-concentrating hormone antagonistic action and useful as an agent for preventing or treating obesity, and which is represented by the formula: wherein Ar is a cyclic group optionally having substituent(s); X is a bond or a spacer having a main chain of 1 to 6 atoms; R1 and R2 are the same or different and each is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group optionally having substituent(s), or R1 and R2 may form, together with the adjacent nitrogen atom, a nitrogen-containing heterocycle optionally having substituent(s); Y is a divalent hydrocarbon group optionally having substituent(s) (except CO); R3 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group optionally having substituent(s); and ring A and ring B may further have substituents, and when ring B further has a substituent, the substituent may be linked to R1 to form a ring, or a salt thereof, or a prodrug thereof, is provided.

Abstract: Compounds of the general formula (I): or salts thereof, which exhibit CCR5 antagonism and exert preventive and therapeutic effects against HIV infections: wherein R1 is a 5- to 6-membered aromatic ring which bears a substituent represented by the general formula: R-Z1-X-Z2- (wherein R1 is hydrogen or optionally substituted hydrocarbyl; X is optionally substituted alkylene; and Z1 and Z2 are each a heteroatom) and may be further substituted, with R being optionally bonded to the aromatic ring to form another ring; Y is optionally substituted imino; and R2 and R3 are each optionally substituted aliphatic hydrocarbyl or an optionally Substituted hetero-alicyclic group.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel protein belonging to an ADAM family, a partial peptide thereof or a salt thereof, a DNA encoding the protein, a recombinant vector comprising the DNA, a transformant, a method for producing the protein, a medicine comprising the protein or the DNA, an antibody against the protein, a method/kit for screening for a compound or a salt thereof which promotes or inhibits the protease activity or the extracellular metric degrading enzyme activity (preferably, the peptidoglycan degrading enzyme activity) of the protein, a compound obtained by the screening, and a medicine comprising the compound. The present protein and a DNA encoding it can be used, for example, as an agent for treating or preventing various diseases such as disc herniation, ischialgia, glomerular nephritis, diabetic nephropathy, hepatic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis or osteopetrosis. In addition, the present antibody can be used for quantitating the present protein in a test solution.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide soluble ?-amyloid precursor protein secretory stimulators, which are effective in treating neurodegenerative diseases as well as cerebrovascular disorder-induced neuronopathy. More specifically, the present invention provides a novel compound of the following Formula (I) or a salt or prodrug thereof: [wherein R1 and R2 each represent a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, etc., Ar1 and the ring B each represent an optionally substituted aromatic group, the ring A represents an optionally substituted benzene ring, the ring C represents an optionally substituted 4- to 8-membered ring which may further be condensed with an optionally substituted ring, X represents CH or N, and Y represents CH or N].

Abstract: A melanin-concentrating hormone antagonist comprising a compound of the formula (I): wherein Ar1 is a cyclic group which may be substituted; X and Y are the same or different and are a spacer having a main chain of 1 to 6 atoms; Ar is a condensed polycyclic aromatic ring which may be substituted; R1 and R2 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted; or R1 and R2, together with the adjacent nitrogen atom, may form a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring which may be substituted; or R2, together with the adjacent nitrogen atom and Y, may form a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring which may be substituted; or R2, together with the adjacent nitrogen atom, Y and Ar, may form a condensed ring; or a salt thereof is useful as an agent for preventing or treating obesity, etc.

Abstract: The present invention provides compounds or salts thereof that regulate the activity of a protein comprising an amino acid sequence identical or substantially identical to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 13, and antisense polynucleotides comprising a nucleotide sequence, or a part thereof, complementary or substantially complementary to the nucleotide sequence of a DNA encoding a protein, or a partial peptide thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence identical or substantially identical to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 13. These compounds, salts and antisense poly nucleotides may be used as prophylactic and/or therapeutic agents for bone and/or arthropathy diseases such as arthritis.

Abstract: A compound having a partial structure represented by Formula: or a salt thereof has an excellent phosphodiesterase (PDE) IV-inhibiting effect, and is useful as a prophylactic or therapeutic agent against inflammatory diseases, for example, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disease, diabetes and the like.

Abstract: To provide a novel oxyiminoalkanoic acid derivative which has excellent hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic actions and which is used for the prevention or treatment of diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia, insulin insensitivity, insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance.

Abstract: A compound of the formula (I): wherein X1 and X2 are the same or different and each is a bond or a spacer having 1 to 20 atom(s) in the main chain; one of R1 and R2 is a cycle group having substituent(s) selected from 1) an optionally substituted carboxy-C1-6 alkoxy group and 2) an optionally substituted carboxy-C1-6 aliphatic hydrocarbon group, wherein the cycle group optionally has additional substituent(s), and the other is an optionally substituted cycle group or a hydrogen atom; and R3, R4 and R5 are the same or different and each is a hydrogen atom or a substituent, or R4 may link together with R3 or R5 to form an optionally substituted ring; provided that when R3 is a hydrogen atom, R4 is a hydrogen atom and R5 is methyl, X2—R2 is not 4-cyclohexylphenyl; when R3 is 4-methoxyphenyl, R4 is a hydrogen atom and R5 is methyl, X2—R2 is not 4-methoxyphenyl; and when R1 or R2 is a hydrogen atom, the adjacent X1 or X2 is not a C1-7 alkylene; or a salt thereof exhibits a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibi