| Research Abstract |
During the tenure of the international collaboration grants from Monbusho and JSPS, shinsuke Nakayama (Head Investigator) four times visited Oxford University. S. Nakayama worked together with Alison F. Brading, Joseph F. Clark, Lorraine M. Smith and Shun-ichi Kajioka, and examined the effects of Mg^<2+> on membrane currents in isolated smooth muscle cells. On this electrophysiological study, one paper has been published. Also, during Nakayama was staying in Oxford, L.M. Smith provided many useful comments on a manuscript describing about the interaction of sympathomimetic and parasympathomimetic drugs on intracellular Mg^<2+> concentration ([Mg^<2+>]_j) in heart. This paper has also appeared in s scientific journal.
On the other hand, in Japan end, Tatsu-aki Matsubara, Tetsuya Amano, Hideki Nomura and S. Nakayama examined various hormonal effects on intracellular Mg2+ regulation in heart and blood vessels using nuclear magnetic resonance. A novel finding in this NMR study is that insul
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in antagonises isoprenaline-induced decrease in [Mg^<2+>]_i, considered to be an important risk factor in myocardial infarction. Also, recently [Mg^<2+>]_i in carotid artery smooth muscle has successfully measured.
In 1999, the head investigator, S. Nakayama was invited to give a talk in two Japanese scientific meetings. Also, In The Gordon Research Conference, Magnesium in Biological Processes and Medicine (Ventura, California, U.S.A.), S. Nakayama was invited as a chairman. In those meetings, S. Nakayama together with Watanabe and Amano, presented recent data regarding the hormonal regulation of intracellular Mg^<2+> regulation in cardiac and smooth muscles, and emphasised importance of Mg^<2+> under physiological and pathological conditions.
Lastly, the year 1998 was a special year, marked by 'Festival UK 98' in Japan. The British Council and British Embassy, Tokyo found S. Nakayama on a list of Monbusho's international research collaboration grants, and asked to organise a scientific lecture series. Thus, Nakayama invited Joseph F. Clark, Peter W. Flatman (Department of Physiology, Edinburgh University) and Thomas T. Cunnane (Department of Pharmacology, Oxford) to Japan, and organised a lecture series entitled 'Festival UK 98 Lecture Series B : Biology and Medicine'. This series of lectures was held in Kanazawa, Gifu, Nagoya and Tokyo. Less
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