02 (95% confidence interval = 20.13-1002.22) and aneurysm size (odds ratio = 1.28 for each 1-mm increase in diameter, 95% confidence interval = 1.12-1.47). CONCLUSIONS: Management of unruptured intracranial aneurysms is fairly selleck compound safe from a neuro-ophthalmic perspective, with some treatment-related morbidity being transient and minor. Although rare, an irreversible deficit is possible and

should be taken into account when considering preventive treatment.”
“The aim of the present study was to determine serum levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and leptin in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at diagnosis and after imatinib therapy when patients achieved a complete molecular remission. The study was conducted on 22 patients with CML in the chronic phase and 10 healthy subjects. The median serum NGAL levels in CML patients at diagnosis were significantly higher compared to age-matched controls. After imatinib therapy, all patients achieved complete molecular remission and NGAL levels decreased and were found significantly lower with respect to the baseline. No significant correlations were found between NGAL levels

and other disease parameters. Before imatinib therapy, the median blood leptin levels were not significantly different from those of controls. After therapy with imatinib, all patients in molecular remission presented an increase in leptin levels. TEW-7197 Future research is eagerly awaited as it may demonstrate the real role of NGAL and leptin in the onset and progression of CML. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Rationale: Delirium is often unrecognized selleck chemical in ICU patients and associated with poor outcome. Screening for ICU delirium is recommended by several medical organizations to improve early diagnosis and treatment. The Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) has high sensitivity and specificity for delirium when administered by research nurses. However, test characteristics of the CAM-ICU as performed in routine practice are

unclear.\n\nObjectives: To investigate the diagnostic value of the CAM-ICU in daily practice.\n\nMethods: Teams of three delirium experts including psychiatrists, geriatricians, and neurologists visited 10 ICUs twice. Based on cognitive examination, inspection of medical files, and Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision criteria for delirium, the expert teams classified patients as awake and not delirious, delirious, or comatose. This served as a gold standard to which the CAM-ICU as performed by the bedside ICU-nurses was compared. Assessors were unaware of each other’s conclusions.\n\nMeasurements and Main Results: Fifteen delirium experts assessed 282 patients of whom 101 (36%) were comatose and excluded.

We found that UCMSCs exhibited strong proliferation ability and potential to differentiate to other cell lineages such as osteocytes and adipocytes. The KPT-8602 mouse presence of Sertoli cells in co-culture significantly enhanced the proliferation and migration potential of UCMSCs (P < 0.01). Moreover, these phenotypic changes were accompanied with upregulation of multiple genes involved in cell proliferation and migration including phospho-Akt, Mdm2, phospho-CDC2, Cyclin D1, Cyclin D3 as well as CXCR4, phospho-p44 MAPK and phospho-p38 MAPK. These findings indicate that Sertoli cells boost UCMSC proliferation and migration potential. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights

reserved.”
“In Diptera (insecta), alternatively spliced

male-specific and female-specific products of the doublesex (dsx) gene play a key role in regulating development of the adult genital structures from the genital disc. Analysis of the pattern of nucleotide substitution of different domains of the dsx gene in 29 dipteran species showed that, over short evolutionary times, purifying selection predominated on the domain common to both sexes, the female-specific exons, and the and male-specific exon. However, over longer the evolutionary time frames represented by between-family comparisons, the male-specific exon accumulated nonsynonymous check details substitutions at a much more rapid rate than either the common domain or the female-specific exon. Overall, the accumulation of nonsynonymous substitutions in the male-specific exon occurred at a significantly greater than linear rate relative to the common domain, whereas the accumulation

of nonsynonymous substitutions in the female-specific exon occurred at less than linear rate relative to the common domain. The evolution of the male-specific exon of dsx thus shows a pattern reminiscent of that seen in the “runaway” evolution of male secondary sexual characters at the morphological level, consistent with the hypothesis that female choice is an important factor in the morphological diversification of insect male genitalia. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, c-Met, play pivotal roles in the nervous system during development and in disease states. However, the physiological selleck products roles of HGF in the adult brain are not well understood. In the present study, to assess its role in learning and memory function, we used transgenic mice that overexpress HGF in a neuron-specific manner (HGF-Tg) to deliver HGF into the brain without injury. HGF-Tg mice displayed increased alternation rates in the Y-maze test compared with age-matched wild-type (WT) controls. In the Morris water maze (MWM) test, HGF-Tg mice took less time to find the platform on the first day, whereas the latency to escape to the hidden platform was decreased over training days compared with WT mice.

Only borderline correlations were obtained for achieved refractive correction with ultrasound and OCR [J Refract Surg. 2009;25:699-708.] doi:10.3928/1081597X-20090707-04″
“Purpose: Concerns about the safety of formocresol (FC) as a pulpotomy agent

in Pediatric Dentistry have lead to the search of GW3965 order new capping medicaments. Indigenous plant medicines such as Nigella Sativa (NS) have been the focus of many researches. Therefore the purpose of this study was to investigate histo-pathologically the pulp response to NS oil and FC in dogs. Method: Forty teeth in 4 male dogs of undefined breed aging 12-14 months were used in this. study. Coronal access cavities were performed on the upper and lower premolars so that both medicaments were tested in the same animal in alternate sides of the mouth. Four weeks after treatment the animals were sacrificed, paraffin sections were prepared for histological,

histochemical and immuno-histochemical staining. Results: specimens in the NS group showed mild to moderate Z IETD FMK vasodilatation. Few specimens showed scattered inflammatory cell infiltration and the odontoblastic layer was continuous. While the FC group showed moderate to severe vasodilatation with high inflammatory cell infiltrate and degenerative changes. Conclusions: NS possesses an anti-inflammatory effect and the pulp maintains its vitality after its application, which could qualify its use as a pulp medicament for pulpotomized teeth in clinical practice.”
“Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by defined factors is an extremely inefficient process, because there is a strong epigenetic block preventing cells from achieving

pluripotency. Here we report that virally expressed factors bound to the promoters of their target genes to the same extent in both iPSCs and unreprogrammed cells (URCs). However, expression of endogenous pluripotentcy genes was observed only in iPSCs. Comparison of local chromatin structure of the OCT4 locus revealed EPZ-6438 nmr that there was a cohesin-complex-mediated intrachromosomal loop that juxtaposes a downstream enhancer to the gene’s promoter, enabling activation of endogenous stemness genes. None of these long-range interactions were observed in URCs. Knockdown of the cohesin-complex gene SMC1 by RNAi abolished the intrachromosomal interaction and affected pluripotency. These findings highlight the importance of the SMC1-orchestrated intrachromosomal loop as a critical epigenetic barrier to the induction of pluripotency.”
“Formation of intracellular aggregates is the hallmark of polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. We analyzed the components of purified nuclear polyQ aggregates by mass spectrometry.

The difference in pyrrole adducts Proteasome inhibitor formation between humans and rats were estimated by using in vitro test.\n\nResults: Dose-dependent effects were observed between the doses of n-hexane and pyrrole adducts in serum and urine, and the levels of pyrrole adduct in serum and urine approached a plateau at week 4. There was a significantly negative correlation between the time to paralysis and the level of pyrrole adducts in serum and urine, while a positive correlation between gait score and levels of pyrrole adducts in serum and urine was observed. In vitro, pyrrole adducts formed in human serum was about two times more than those in rat serum at the same level of 2,5-HD.\n\nConclusion:

It was concluded that the BEIs of pyrrole adducts in humans were 23.1 +/- 5.91 nmol/ml in serum 8 h postdose, 11.7 +/- 2.64 nmol/ml in serum 24 h postdose, 253.8 +/- 36.3 nmol/ml in urine 8 h postdose and 54.6 +/- 15.42 nmol/ml in urine 24 h postdose.”
“Objectives The aim was to assess the association between

the presence of site-specific subgingival micro-organisms and the levels of matrix metalloproteinases-8 and matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-8 and MMP-9) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF).\n\nMaterials and Methods The patient group consisted of 56 subjects with periodontitis and the control group of 43 subjects without periodontitis. GCF samples from four test sites for each subject were collected. Polymerase chain Dinaciclib research buy reaction was used to detect the presence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola. Kinase Inhibitor Library MMP-8 concentrations were analyzed by a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay, and MMP-9 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Student’s unpaired t-test, chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact P-value

were calculated.\n\nResults The presence of T.denticola in the test sites was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. The presence of T.forsythia and T.denticola was associated with increased levels of MMP-8 in the test sites. Respectively, site-specific presence of T.denticola was associated with an increase in MMP-9 levels in three of the four test sites.\n\nConclusions The presence of subgingival micro-organisms in GCF, particularly T.denticola, appeared to induce a host response with an increased release of MMP-8 and MMP-9 in the test sites.”
“Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare type of heart failure which presents towards the end of pregnancy or in the first 5 months after delivery. Depending on the geographical location the incidence is reported in the literature as 1:300 up to 1:15,000. There are a number of known risk factors, such as multiparity and age of the mother over 30 years. The symptoms of PPCM correspond to those of idiopathic cardiomyopathy.

65-2.00),

and similar with respect to hospitalisation frequency (30 vs. 28 %; Odds ratio 1.14; 95 % confidence interval 0.78-1.67) and mortality (7.5 vs. 5 %; Hazard ratio 1.41; 95 % confidence interval 0.71-2.82). Conclusions Pharmaceutical care given to our elderly polypharmacy patients made no significant impact on medication adherence, hospitalisation or mortality, when compared to comparable control patients.”
“Background: Fingolimod is the first oral immunomodulatory therapy approved for highly active relapsing remitting AZD0530 multiple sclerosis. Based on the distribution pattern of fingolimod interacting sphingosine-1-phosphat receptors in organism including immune system and cardiovascular system clinical monitoring of patients and evaluation of adverse events are recommended. Despite extensive data on cardiovascular safety, experience with fingolimod in patients with concomitant cardiological disease, especially within the pulmonary circulation, is rare. Case presentation: We report the case of a 46-year-old woman presented with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and severe idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Fingolimod was initiated because of

disease activity of multiple sclerosis with two relapses and gadolinium-enhancing lesions in MRI. The patient demonstrated stable disease course of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension when fingolimod was started. Fingolimod therapy did not alter or even worsen the pulmonary or cardiovascular conditions during first dose application as well as follow C59 Wnt Stem Cells & Wnt inhibitor up of nine months. Conclusion: In this report, we present the first case of fingolimod treatment in a patient with highly active multiple

sclerosis and severe idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. We suggest an interdisciplinary approach with detailed cardiopulmonary monitoring for safety in such patients.”
“Background: We have demonstrated previously that NFKB1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4648068 GG homozygote was associated with the increased risk of gastric cancer in Chinese Han population. In this Napabucasin molecular weight study, we constructed the recombinant plasmid pGL3-AA, pGL3-GG, pGL3-AA-NFKB and pGL3-GG-NFKB to investigate the function of rs4648068 by cell biology experiments. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect NFKB1 SNP rs4648068 genotype in the patients with gastric cancer. Anti-NF-kappa B1 p50 polyclonal antibodies were used for immunohistochemical analysis of the tissue specimens. The subsection of NFKB1 containing the promoter site and adjacent three consecutive exons were obtained by PCR technique and subcloned into the vector pGL3-Basic. Dual-Luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the transcriptional activity of the constructed promoter. Effects of transcription factor NFKB1 on C/EBP beta expression were determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation and Western analysis. Furthermore, proliferation and invasion ability of the transduced cell were also measured and compared.

“
“Objectives: N-terminal brain natriuretic Metabolism inhibitor peptide (NT-proBNP) is an established biomarker of heart failure and has been found to predict mortality and morbidity after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate whether preoperative NT-proBNP can predict postoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class and hospital readmission in addition to morbidity and mortality. Design: Retrospective. Setting: University hospital. Participants: All patients undergoing

aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis and coronary artery bypass grafting from January to December 2008 (n = 390). Measurements and Main Results: Preoperative NT-proBNP was recorded prospectively. Five-year mortality was obtained through national registries. Postoperative functional class, morbidity, and hospital readmission were obtained through telephone interviews. Patients were divided into quartiles based on preoperative NT-proBNP; the medians of each quartile were 103 ng/L, 291 ng/L, 825 ng/L and 2,375 ng/L. Increased preoperative NT-proBNP was associated with reduced postoperative functional class. In the first quartile, 7% (7/97) were in NYHA functional class III-IV compared to 26% (25/97) in the fourth quartile (p smaller than 0.01). Increased preoperative NT-proBNP was also associated with reduced long-term survival (p smaller than 0.01). The covariate adjusted find more hazard ratio for mortality

in the fourth quartile was 2.9 (1.61-5.08; p smaller than 0.01) compared to the other quartiles. No association was found between preoperative NT-proBNP and postoperative hospital readmission. Conclusions: Increased preoperative NT-proBNP is associated with reduced long-term survival and functional class but not hospital readmission post-cardiac surgery. Thus, NT-proBNP

might have additive value to established risk factors in the preoperative assessment of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Clathrodin, alkaloid isolated from Agelas sponges, was reported in 1995 as a voltage-gated sodium channel modulator. Here we describe the design and synthesis of conformationally restricted clathrodin analogues incorporating CBL0137 chemical structure the 4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazol-2-amine moiety and evaluation of their modulatory activities on human voltage-gated sodium channel isoforms Na(V)1.3, Na(V)1.4 and Na(V)1.7, as well as their selectivity against cardiac isoform Nav1.5. Compounds were shown to act as statedependent modulators of Na(V)1.3, Na-V1.4 and Na(V)1.7 with IC50 values in the lower micromolar range for the open-inactivated state of the channels. Preliminary structure activity relationship studies have revealed the importance of hydrophobic interactions for binding to all three tested isoforms. Compound 4e with IC50 value of 8 mu M against Na(V)1.4 represents a novel selective state-dependent Na(V)1.4 channel modulator.

Moreover, out of 103 completers, only 41 (39.8%) patients presented no missing visits and 25 (24.3%) presented two absences. These patients did not differ in clinical and demographic characteristics; thus, absences were probably circumstantial (e.g., traffic congestion, personal obligations). ConclusionsAbsences during the acute tDCS treatment phase are common, which support the use of flexible schedules in future tDCS trials as to minimize attrition. Also, further studies should access whether higher number of absences can compromise optimal tDCS efficacy.”
“The objective of this study

was to determine the impact of lowering nitrogen supply from PF-6463922 12 to 6 or 4 mM NO(3)(-) on tomato fruit yield and quality during the growing season. Lowering nitrogen supply had a low impact on fruit commercial yield (-7.5%), but it reduced plant vegetative growth and increased fruit dry matter content, improving consequently fruit quality. Fruit quality was improved due to lower acid (10-16%) and increased soluble sugar content (5-17%). The content of some phenolic compounds selleck products (rutin, a caffeic acid glycoside, and a caffeic acid derivate) and total ascorbic acid tended to be higher

in fruit with the lowest nitrogen supply, but differences were significant in only a few cases (trusses). With regard to carotenoids, data did not show significant and univocal differences related to different levels of nitrogen supply. Thus, reducing nitrogen fertilization limited environmental pollution, on the one hand, and may improve, on the other hand, both growers’ profits, by limiting nitrogen inputs, and fruit quality for consumers, by increasing tomato sugars content. It was concluded that primary and secondary metabolites could be affected as a result of a specific response to low nitrogen, VE 821 combined with a lower degree of vegetative development, increasing fruit irradiance, and therefore modifying fruit composition.”
“We present a new four dimensional potential energy surface (PES) for the CN(X-2 Sigma(+))-(H)2 system. Both molecules were treated as rigid rotors. Potential energy was obtained

from the electronic structure calculations using a partially spin-restricted coupled cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations method. The four atoms were described using the augmented correlation-consistent triple zeta (aug-cc-pVTZ) basis sets augmented with mid-bond functions for improved description of van der Waals interactions. The global minimum is characterized by the well depth of 121.36 cm(-1) for the linear CN center dot center dot center dot H-2 structure. The zero-order corrected dissociation energies D-0 are 27.73 cm(-1) and 38.75 cm(-1) for the complex with para-and ortho-H-2, respectively. These theoretical results obtained using our new PES are in excellent agreement with experimental values [Y. Chen and M. C. Heaven, J. Chem. Phys. 109, 5171 (1998)].

302; P = 0.015). After adjustment for BMI, left atrium (LA) size, epicardial fat, and interatrial septum width, interatrial fat independently associated with the P-f on Z lead (-coefficient 0.009 [95%CI 0.0003-0.019]; P = 0.043).\n\nConclusionsInfiltrated atrial fat correlates with discontinuous conduction on posterior LA wall and represents AF early substrate.”
“Background: Numerous molecular markers of sinonasal inverted papillomas (IP) were investigated in the past; however, significance of angiogenesis and inhibition of apoptosis were not well documented. This study was designed to determine expression

of angiogenic marker CD34 antigen, antiapoptotic marker Bcl-2 oncoprotein, and proliferative marker Ki-67 antigen in the group of patients with IP. We matched up these findings to the group of patients LY333531 supplier with sinonasal carcinoma (SNC) and used chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients as control group. In addition, we compared expression of the markers among IP patients who displayed distinctly different patterns of clinical behavior. Methods: Tissue samples were obtained from 46 surgically treated patients; 18 of them had a diagnosis of IP, 9 had documented SNC, and the remaining 19 patients had CRS. All specimens were stained using immunohistochemistry

techniques for CD34 (mean vessel density [MVD]), Bcl-2, and Ki-67 antigens. Morphometry was evaluated by computer image analysis system. Results: We noted statistically significant differences in expression

of CD34 antigen, Bcl-2 protein, and Ki-67 antigen (for all groups, ANOVA p smaller than 0.001) among the investigated groups. The mean value of CD34 antigen was significantly MAPK inhibitor ON-01910 in vitro higher in the IP group than in the CRS group, but it was below the levels of the SNC group. Compared with the cases not complicated by recurrence, the patients with recurrent IP exhibited higher MVD levels, while levels of bcl-2 and Ki67 protein expression did not differ in a significant way between recurrent and nonrecurrent cases. The significant positive correlations were observed between Bcl-2 protein and Ki-67 antigen in IP and SNC groups and between Bcl-2 protein and CD34 antigen in the CRS group. Conclusion: Our findings underscore importance of angiogenesis in the development and prognosis of IP and support further investigation of this aspect of IP tumor growth.”
“P>An invariable feature of Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa is the persistent infiltration of inflammatory cells. The neutrophil-activating protein (HP-NAP) has a pivotal role in triggering and orchestrating the phlogistic process associated with H. pylori infection. Aim of this study was to address whether HP-NAP might further contribute to the inflammation by increasing the lifespan of inflammatory cells. We report that HP-NAP is able to prolong the lifespan of monocytes, in parallel with the induction of the anti-apoptotic proteins A1, Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L).

However, empirical estimates of how fast this process occurs ALK signaling pathway are limited. Here we use nucleotide sequences of male-killing Wolbachia bacteria and co-inherited mitochondria to address this issue in the island butterfly Hypolimnas bolina. We show that infected specimens scattered

throughout the species range harbour the same Wolbachia and mitochondrial DNA as inferred from 6337 bp of the bacterial genome and 2985 bp of the mitochondrial genome, suggesting this strain of Wolbachia has spread across the South Pacific Islands at most 3000 years ago, and probably much more recently.”
“We have compared the results at a mean follow-up of 13 years (11 to 14) of two groups of supination-external rotation type-4 fractures of the ankle, in one of which there was a fracture of the medial malleolus and in the other the medial deltoid ligament had been partially or completely ruptured.\n\nOf 66 patients treated operatively between 1993 and 1997, 36 were available for follow-up. Arthroscopy had been performed in all patients pre-operatively to assess the extent of the intra-articular lesions. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hind-foot score was used

for clinical evaluation and showed a significant difference in both the total and the functional scores (p < 0.05), but not in those for pain or alignment, in favour of the group with a damaged deltoid ligament (p < 0.05). The only significant difference between the groups on the short-form 36 quality-of-life score was for bodily pain, again in favour of the group with a damaged deltoid ligament. There was no significant Cilengitide manufacturer difference between the groups in the subjective visual analogue scores or in the modified Kannus radiological score.\n\nArthroscopically, there was a significant difference with an increased risk of loose bodies in the group with an intact deltoid ligament (p < 0.005), although there was no significant increased risk of deep cartilage lesions in the

two groups.\n\nAt a mean follow-up of 13 years after operative treatment VX-770 research buy of a supination-external rotation type-4 ankle fracture patients with partial or complete rupture of the medial deltoid ligament tended to have a better result than those with a medial malleolar fracture.”
“Background:Severe hypocalcennia sometimes develops during denosumab treatment for bone metastases from cancer and is, therefore, an important issue. However, limited information is available on the risk factors for hypocalcemia and the appropriate interval for monitoring serum calcium concentration. Objective: The present study aimed to identify the risk factors for grade bigger than = 2 hypocalcennia and to investigate the time course of serum calcium concentrations in patients receiving denosumab for bone metastases from cancer. Method: The medical records of 66 cancer patients treated with denosumab between April 2012 and August 2013 were retrospectively reviewed.

Interactions of the homodimeric Escherichia coli beta clamp with its known partners involves multiple surfaces, including a hydrophobic cleft located near the C-terminus of each clamp protomer.\n\nResults: A mutant E. coli

beta clamp protein lacking a functional hydrophobic cleft (beta(C)) complemented the temperature sensitive growth phenotype of a strain bearing the dnaN159 allele, which encodes a thermolabile mutant clamp protein (beta 159). Complementation was conferred by a beta(C)/beta 159 heterodimer, and was observed only in the absence of the dinB gene, which encodes DNA polymerase IV (Pol IV). Furthermore, the complemented strain was proficient for umuDC (Pol V) -dependent ultraviolet light (UV) -induced mutagenesis.\n\nConclusions: Our results suggest that a single cleft in the homodimeric E. coli beta sliding Selleckchem Cl-amidine clamp protein is sufficient to support both ZD1839 order cell viability, as well as Pol III, Pol IV, and Pol V function in vivo. These

findings provide further support for a model in which different Pols switch places with each other on DNA using a single cleft in the clamp.”
“A [3,3]-rearrangement that is used for facile construction of chiral allenamides is described. A propargylic alcohol, a chlorophosphite, and Cbz-azide are combined to provide a propargylic phosphorimidate that, in the presence of catalytic palladium(II), rearranges to an allenamide. By varying the substitution pattern on the propargylic alcohol, mono-, di-, and trisubstituted allenamides can be accessed in good yields. Additionally, the use of an enantiomerically enriched propargylic alcohol enables the preparation of stereochemically Crenigacestat defined allenamides.”
“Plants respond to pathogen attack by transcriptionally regulating defense-related

genes via various types of transcription factors. We identified a transcription factor in rice, OsNAC111, belonging to the TERN subgroup of the NAC family that was transcriptionally upregulated after rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae) inoculation. OsNAC111 was localized in the nucleus of rice cells and had transcriptional activation activity in yeast and rice cells. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsNAC111 showed increased resistance to the rice blast fungus. In OsNAC111-overexpressing plants, the expression of several defense-related genes, including pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, was constitutively high compared with the control. These genes all showed blast disease-responsive expression in leaves. Among them, two chitinase genes and one beta-1,3-glucanase gene showed reduced expression in transgenic rice plants in which OsNAC111 function was suppressed by a chimeric repressor (OsNAC111-SRDX). OsNAC111 activated transcription from the promoters of the chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase genes in rice cells. In addition, brown pigmentation at the infection sites, a defense response of rice cells to the blast fungus, was lowered in OsNAC111-SRDX plants at the early infection stage.