Abstract: The present invention provides a useful and efficient screening method for finding a cholinergic muscarinic M1 receptor positive allosteric modulator (M1PAM) with reduced cholinergic side effects. The present invention also provides a method for treating Alzheimer's disease and the like, a method for reducing cholinergic side effects, and the like which use M1PAM selected by the screening method and having a low ? value, or the M1PAM and an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an antioxidant response element (ARE) activator comprising a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) or a modified form thereof, an ARE activator comprising a combination of MIF or a modified form thereof and a substance capable of binding to MIF, such as a 1,3-benzothiazinone, and so on. These ARE activators are useful.

Abstract: The invention provides a screening method and screening kit for a cell protecting agent. Specifically, the invention provides a method for screening a cell protecting agent showing an Hsp90-binding activity and a heat shock protein expression-inducing activity but having no Hsp90 client protein degradation-promoting activity. The method comprises the following steps (1) to (3): (1) measuring the binding property of a test compound to Hsp90; (2) measuring the activity of a test compound to induce the expression of a heat shock protein, or measuring the activity of a test compound to disrupt an Hsp90/HSF-1 complex, by using a cell capable of expressing the heat shock protein; and (3) measuring the activity of a test compound to induce the degradation of an Hsp90 client protein by using a cell capable of expressing the Hsp90 client protein.

Abstract: The cell death inhibitor comprising a substance capable of binding to macrophage migration inhibitory factor is useful as a preventive/therapeutic agent for, e.g., heart diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, central nervous infections, traumatic diseases, demyelinating diseases, bone/joint diseases, kidney diseases, liver diseases, myelodysplastic diseases, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, sepsis, inflammatory bowel diseases, autoimmune diseases, failure accompanying rejection in organ transplantation, AIDS, cancer, etc.

Abstract: The invention provides a screening method and screening kit for a cell protecting agent. Specifically, the invention provides a method for screening a cell protecting agent showing an Hsp90-binding activity and a heat shock protein expression-inducing activity but having no Hsp90 client protein degradation-promoting activity. The method comprises the following steps (1) to (3): (1) measuring the binding property of a test compound to Hsp90; (2) measuring the activity of a test compound to induce the expression of a heat shock protein, or measuring the activity of a test compound to disrupt an Hsp90/HSF-1 complex, by using a cell capable of expressing the heat shock protein; and (3) measuring the activity of a test compound to induce the degradation of an Hsp90 client protein by using a cell capable of expressing the Hsp90 client protein.

Abstract: This invention provides a compound represented by the formula (I): wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxy, nitro, optionally halogenated alkyl, alkoxy optionally having substituents, acyl or amino optionally having substituents; R2 is pyridyl, furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, quinolyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, indolyl, tetrahydroquinolyl or thiazolyl, each of which may have substituents; n is 1 or 2; or a salt. And this invention provides a safe pharmaceutical comprising the compound of the formula (I), which has an excellent apoptosis inhibitory effect and MIF binding effect, for preventing and/or treating heart disease, nervous degenerative disease, cerebrovascular disease, central nervous infectious disease, traumatorathy, demyelinating disease, bone and articular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, osteomyelodysplasia, AIDS, cancer, and the like.

Abstract: The cell death inhibitor comprising a substance capable of binding to macrophage migration inhibitory factor is useful as a preventive/therapeutic agent for, e.g., heart diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, central nervous infections, traumatic diseases, demyelinating diseases, bone/joint diseases, kidney diseases, liver diseases, myelodysplastic diseases, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, sepsis, inflammatory bowel diseases, autoimmune diseases, failure accompanying rejection in organ transplantation, AIDS, cancer, etc.

Abstract: As prophylactic and/or therapeutic agents for cardiovascular diseases, bone or joint diseases, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, kidney diseases, etc. having safe and excellent effects of cell death inhibition, MIF binding, etc., there are provided compounds represented by formula: [wherein, R1 represents a halogen atom, etc., R2 represents a group represented by formula: (wherein, R3 represents hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkoxy, etc., R4 represents hydrogen atom, bromine atom, cyano, etc., R5 represents hydrogen atom, hydroxy, etc., R6 represents hydrogen atom, etc., R7 represents hydrogen atom, etc.) etc., and n represents an integer of 0 to 4] or salts thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an antioxidant response element (ARE) activator comprising a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) or a modified form thereof, an ARE activator comprising a combination of MIF or a modified form thereof and a substance capable of binding to MIF, and so on. These ARE activators are useful as safe and excellent cell death inhibitors, such as agents for the prevention/treatment of cardiovascular diseases, bone/joint diseases, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, renal diseases, central nervous system diseases, cancer or diabetes.

Abstract: This invention provides a compound represented by the formula (I): wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxy, nitro, optionally halogenated alkyl, alkoxy optionally having substituents, acyl or amino optionally having substituents; R2 is pyridyl, furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, quinolyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, indolyl, tetrahydroquinolyl or thiazolyl, each of which may have substituents; n is 1 or 2; or a salt. And this invention provides a safe pharmaceutical comprising the compound of the formula (I), which has an excellent apoptosis inhibitory effect and MIF binding effect, for preventing and/or treating heart disease, nervous degenerative disease, cerebrovascular disease, central nervous infectious disease, traumatorathy, demyelinating disease, bone and articular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, osteomyelodysplasia, AIDS, cancer, and the like.

Abstract: This invention provides a compound represented by the formula (I): wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxy, nitro, optionally halogenated alkyl, alkoxy optionally having substituents, acyl or amino optionally having substituents; R2 is pyridyl, furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, quinolyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, indolyl, tetrahydroquinolyl or thiazolyl, each of which may have substituents; n is 1 or 2; or a salt. And this invention provides a safe pharmaceutical comprising the compound of the formula (I), which has an excellent apoptosis inhibitory effect and MIF binding effect, for preventing and/or treating heart disease, nervous degenerative disease, cerebrovascular disease, central nervous infectious disease, traumatorathy, demyelinating disease, bone and articular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, osteomyelodysplasia, AIDS, cancer, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing primary heart muscle cells, characterized by washing a fine fragmented heart tissue with a phosphate-buffered physiological saline to thereby eliminate non-heart muscle cells and then hemolyzing the heart tissue digested with a protease to thereby eliminate erythrocytes. According to this method, highly pure primary heart muscle cells can be conveniently obtained in a large amount from the heart of an animal embryo or newborn. By using the heart muscle thus prepared, apoptosis of heart muscle cells can be efficiently and highly sensitively detected. Thus, it is possible to efficiently screen candidate compounds for heart muscle cell apoptosis inhibitors, gp 130-mediated receptor agonists, heart muscle cell-protective signal enhancers, preventives and remedies for heart diseases.

Abstract: As prophylactic and/or therapeutic agents for cardiovascular diseases, bone or joint diseases, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, kidney diseases, etc. having safe and excellent effects of cell death inhibition, MIF binding, etc., there are provided compounds represented by formula: [wherein, R1 represents a halogen atom, etc., R2 represents a group represented by formula: (wherein, R3 represents hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkoxy, etc., R4 represents hydrogen atom, bromine atom, cyano, etc., R5 represents hydrogen atom, hydroxy, etc., R6 represents hydrogen atom, etc., R7 represents hydrogen atom, etc.) etc., and n represents an integer of 0 to 4] or salts thereof.

Abstract: The cell death inhibitor comprising a substance capable of binding to macrophage migration inhibitory factor is useful as a preventive/therapeutic agent for, e.g., heart diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, central nervous infections, traumatic diseases, demyelinating diseases, bone/joint diseases, kidney diseases, liver diseases, myelodysplastic diseases, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, sepsis, inflammatory bowel diseases, autoimmune diseases, failure accompanying rejection in organ transplantation, AIDS, cancer, etc.

Abstract: This invention provides a compound represented by the formula (I): wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxy, nitro, optionally halogenated alkyl, alkoxy optionally having substituents, acyl or amino optionally having substituents; R2 is pyridyl, furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, quinolyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, indolyl, tetrahydroquinolyl or thiazolyl, each of which may have substituents; n is 1 or 2; or a salt. And this invention provides a safe pharmaceutical comprising the compound of the formula (I), which has an excellent apoptosis inhibitory effect and MIF binding effect, for preventing and/or treating heart disease, nervous degenerative disease, cerebrovascular disease, central nervous infectious disease, traumatorathy, demyelinating disease, bone and articular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, osteomyelodysplasia, AIDS, cancer, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide excellent preventives and/or remedies for heart diseases. Specifically, the present invention provides heart muscle cell apoptosis inhibitors, preventives and/or remedies for heart diseases, comprising a compound represented by the following formula: wherein R represents an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted aromatic heterocyclic group, or an optionally substituted amino group; or a salt thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing primary heart muscle cells, characterized by washing a fine fragmented heart tissue with a phosphate-buffered physiological saline to thereby eliminate non-heart muscle cells and then hemolyzing the heart tissue digested with a protease to thereby eliminate erythrocytes. According to this method, highly pure primary heart muscle cells can be conveniently obtained in a large amount from the heart of an animal embryo or newborn. By using the heart muscle thus prepared, apoptosis of heart muscle cells can be efficiently and highly sensitively detected. Thus, it is possible to efficiently screen candidate compounds for heart muscle cell apoptosis inhibitors, gp 130-mediated receptor agonists, heart muscle cell-protective signal enhancers, preventives and remedies for heart diseases.