Abstract: An oral preparation for promoting expression of TGF-? includes as an active ingredient hyaluronic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, the oral preparation promoting expression of TGF-? in plasma. In addition, an oral preparation for suppressing production of a pain-producing substance includes as an active ingredient hyaluronic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, the oral preparation suppressing production of a pain-producing substance by promoting expression of TGF-? in plasma. In addition, an oral preparation for suppressing production of a pain-producing substance includes as an active ingredient hyaluronic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, the oral preparation suppressing production of a pain-producing substance PGE2 and/or bradykinin.

Abstract: Provided are a sirtuin inducer, a tissue repairing agent, a hepatocyte growth factor inducer, a tissue homeostasis maintenance agent, and a TLR4 agonist, which utilize a hyaluronic acid fragment as an active ingredient. A hyaluronic acid fragment selected from sizes of 2 to 20 sugar units, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or pharmaceutically acceptable solvates thereof, is employed as the active ingredient for the sirtuin inducer, tissue repairing agent, hepatocyte growth factor inducer, tissue homeostasis maintenance agent, or TLR4 agonist. The hyaluronic acid fragment is preferably selected from sizes of 3 to 10 sugar units, and more preferably selected from a size of 3 or 4 sugar unite.

Abstract: A method for promoting expression of a heat shock protein, or for inhibiting cell injury or cell death, or for treating a disease for which cell or tissue protection is desired, or for promoting production of IL-10, or for inhibiting production of IL-8, by administering an effective amount of a fraction containing a hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide comprising four saccharide residues and having certain physicochemical properties or by administering an effective amount of an isolated and substantially pure tetrasaccharide of formula (1) described in the application. Methods for preserving an organ.

Abstract: There is provided a therapeutic agent for treating osteoarthritis, which is a drug comprising hyaluronan as an active ingredient. The hyaluronan is preferably a tetrasaccharide including two units, with a single unit being -D-glucuronic acid-?-1,3-D-N-acetylglucosamine-?-1,4- (HA4).

Abstract: A method for promoting expression of a heat shock protein, or for inhibiting cell injury or cell death, or for treating a disease for which cell or tissue protection is desired, or for promoting production of IL-10, or for inhibiting production of IL-8, by administering an effective amount of a fraction containing a hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide comprising four saccharide residues and having certain physicochemical properties or by administering an effective amount of an isolated and substantially pure tetrasaccharide of formula (1) described in the application. Methods for preserving an organ.

Abstract: A SOCS3 expression promoter includes hyaluronic acid having an average molecular weight of 500,000 or more and/or a salt thereof as an active ingredient.

Abstract: There is provided a therapeutic agent for treating osteoarthritis, which is a drug comprising hyaluronan as an active ingredient. The hyaluronan is preferably a tetrasaccharide including two units, with a single unit being -D-glucuronic acid-?-1,3-D-N-acetylglucosamine-?-1,4- (HA4).

Abstract: A method for promoting expression of a heat shock protein, or for inhibiting cell injury or cell death, or for treating a disease for which cell or tissue protection is desired, or for promoting production of IL-10, or for inhibiting production of IL-8, by administering an effective amount of a fraction containing a hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide comprising four saccharide residues and having certain physicochemical properties or by administering an effective amount of an isolated and substantially pure tetrasaccharide of formula (1) described in the application. Methods for preserving an organ.

Abstract: A method for promoting expression of a heat shock protein, or for inhibiting cell injury or cell death, or for treating a disease for which cell or tissue protection is desired, or for promoting production of IL-10, or for inhibiting production of IL-8, by administering an effective amount of a fraction containing a hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide comprising four saccharide residues and having certain physicochemical properties or by administering an effective amount of an isolated and substantially pure tetrasaccharide of formula (1) described in the application. Methods for preserving an organ.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for nerve damages such as those caused by spinal cord injury or nerve trauma, which includes, as an active ingredient, a low-molecular-weight saccharide composed of at least glucuronic acid and/or N-acetylglucosamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention also provides a therapeutic agent for nerve damages which includes, as an active ingredient, preferably a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, more preferably hyaluronic acid disaccharide to hyaluronic acid 2,500-saccharide, further more preferably hyaluronic acid disaccharide to hyaluronic acid 50-saccharide, much more preferably hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: Hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides having a size selected from sizes of 4 to 60 saccharides, fractions containing the hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides and having particular physicochemical properties, and drugs containing the same. The hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides of the present invention are extremely useful, because they exert superior pharmaceutical effects as active ingredients of a heat shock protein expression promoter, cell death inhibitor, cell injury inhibitor and cell and tissue protecting agent (e.g., organ preservation agent, antiulcer agent, antihepatopathic agent, IL-10 production promoter or IL-8 production inhibitor) and exhibit high safety.

Abstract: Hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides having a size selected from sizes of 4 to 60 saccharides, fractions containing the hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides and having particular physicochemical properties, and drugs containing the same. The hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides of the present invention are extremely useful, because they exert superior pharmaceutical effects as active ingredients of a heat shock protein expression promoter, cell death inhibitor, cell injury inhibitor and cell and tissue protecting agent (e.g., organ preservation agent, antiulcer agent, antihepatopathic agent, IL-10 production promoter or IL-8 production inhibitor) and exhibit high safety.

Abstract: The object is to provide a therapeutic drug for traumatic neural disease (disorder) and/or motor function disorder, more particularly, a therapeutic drug for traumatic neural disease (disorder) and/or motor function disorder derived from spinal cord injury. A keratan sulfate oligosaccharide or a derivative thereof was found to have an effect of improving the traumatic neural disease (disorder) and/or motor function disorder derived from spinal cord injury and to be useful as the therapeutic drug for traumatic neural disease (disorder) and/or motor function disorder. That is, according to the present invention, there is provided a therapeutic drug for traumatic neural disease (disorder) and/or motor function disorder comprising an effective amount of the keratan sulfate oligosaccharide or the derivative thereof.

Abstract: A method for promoting expression of a heat shock protein, or for inhibiting cell injury or cell death, or for treating a disease for which cell or tissue protection is desired, or for promoting production of IL-10, or for inhibiting production of IL-8, by administering an effective amount of a fraction containing a hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide comprising four saccharide residues and having certain physicochemical properties or by administering an effective amount of an isolated and substantially pure tetrasaccharide of formula (1) described in the application. Methods for preserving an organ.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition containing hyaluronan as an active ingredient is provided. A preferred hyaluronan is a tetrasaccharide (HA4) containing 2 units, with a single unit being -D-glucuronic acid-?-1,3-D-N-acetylglucosamine-?-1,4-.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for nerve damages such as those caused by spinal cord injury or nerve trauma, which comprises, as an active ingredient, a low-molecular-weight saccharide composed of at least glucuronic acid and/or N-acetylglucosamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention also provides a therapeutic agent for nerve damages which comprises, as an active ingredient, preferably a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, more preferably hyaluronic acid disaccharide to hyaluronic acid 2,500-saccharide, further more preferably hyaluronic acid disaccharide to hyaluronic acid 50-saccharide, much more preferably hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: Hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides having a size selected from sizes of 4 to 60 saccharides, fractions containing the hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides and having particular physicochemical properties, and drugs containing the same. The hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides of the present invention are extremely useful, because they exert superior pharmaceutical effects as active ingredients of a heat shock protein expression promoter, cell death inhibitor, cell injury inhibitor and cell and tissue protecting agent (e.g., organ preservation agent, antiulcer agent, antihepatopathic agent, IL-10 production promoter or IL-8 production inhibitor) and exhibit high safety.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an IL-12 expression controlling agent, an inhibitor of IL-12 expression and an enhancer of IL-12 expression for oral administration, which comprise hyaluronan as an active ingredient. The present invention relates to an interleukin-12 expression controlling agent, which comprises hyaluronan as an active ingredient. Specifically, it is an inhibitor of interleukin-12 expression, which comprises hyaluronan or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof having a weight average molecular weight of from 600,000 to 3,000,000 as an active ingredient, or an enhancer of interleukin-12 expression for oral administration, which comprise hyaluronan or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof having a weight average molecular weight of from 50,000 to 400,000 as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition, which contains glycosaminoglycan having at least one sulfate group or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and an immunosuppressant.

Abstract: An IL-12 production inhibitor which comprises, as an active ingredient, a keratan sulfate oligosaccharide or a derivative thereof, for example, a keratan sulfate oligosaccharide comprising at least one repeating unit of either one of the disaccharides represented by the following formulas: Gal (6s)-GlcNAc (6s) and Gal (6s)-GlcNAc wherein Gal represents a galactose residue, GlcNAc represents an N-acetylglucosamine residue, 6s indicates that 6-0-sulfate ester is formed at a Hydroxyl group at the 6-position, and - represents a glycosidic linkage.