Fukushima Medical University

Fandamentals of Nursing

Department of Ecology and Clinical Therapeutics

Introduction

The department has been founded to develop education and research for pathology and clinical therapeutics of various types of human diseases. Anatomy and basic physiology of humans were also included in the professional training of education.
Dr. Kenji Mizuno, professor and chairman of the department, graduated from Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine in 1976. He received his doctor's degree of medicine from the university in 1983 with a clinical research concerning biochemical characteristics and pathophysiological significance of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in urine of patients with essential hypertension. His main them of research has been thoroughly the etiology and therapeutic aspect of hypertension. Role of extrarenal renin-angiotensin system in pathogenesis of essential hypertension is one of the important issues of research. In this connection, he worked with Professor T. Inagami, at the Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Tennessee, from 1986 to 1988, while which he proved the presence of renin-secretory granules in rat adrenal cortex (Journal of Clinical Investigation, 82, 1007-1016, 1988). Recently, his work has focused on the role of gene polymorphism of various vasoactive hormones and thrombogenetic substances in target organ damages of either hypertension or diabetes mellitus. He revealed some relationships between gene polymorphisms of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) and ACE and cerebrovascular damage in hypertension. More recently, a study is under progress of correlation of gene polymorphism of angiotensin II type I receptor (ATIIr₁) and efficacy of its specific antagonist candesartan in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Research

As stated above, our main research includes
1)	relationships between gene polymorphisms of PAI-1, PAF-AH, and ACE and target organ damages in hypertensive patients
2)	significance of gene polymorphism of ATIIR₁in the initiation and/or development of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM), and
3)	the efficacy of ATIIR₁antagonist candesartan for protecting diverse diabetic complications in NIDDM patients. In addition, role of endothelial cells for atherosclerotic vascular changes in hypertension and diabetes mellitus has recently been started. To this end, effects of various kinds of vasoactive substances such as angiotensin 2, endothelin, insulin and homocystein on tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) as well as on PAI-1 are currently under investigation by using cultured endothelial cells from human umbilical vein (HUVEC) at a gene level. These works are mainly collaborated by the assistant Kayoko Hashimoto, a graduate from Chiba University School of Nursing.
	The main findings from the first research have already been accepted and presented as oral and poster presentations in the 18th Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Hypertension, held at Chicago, USA in August 2000. These results were abstracted in the Journal of Hypertension, 18 (supp 4), 2000.

Education

According to the curriculum, lectures for basic human anatomy regularly start from April and finish at September for first-year students. Then, a series of lectures on basic human physiology is held for 6 months from October. For second-year students, fundamental pathology of human diseases and therapeutics are lectured throughout the year. Tests are usually provided for promotion at September and March.

Publications

1.	Mizuno K, Hashimoto K, Ono Y, A possible relevance of gene polymorphisms of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) to the target organ damages of essential hypertension. J. Hypertens. 18(supp 4):S54, 2000.
2.	Ono Y, Mizuno K, Hashimoto K, Gotoh M, Usefulness of genotyping of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) for predicting efficacy of antihypertensive treatment with ACE inhibitor and angiotensin receptor antagonist. J. Hypertens. 18(supp 4): S15, 2000.
3.	Kato K, Sato H, Mizuno K, Thiazolidinediones down-regulate plasminogen activator¤@inhibitor type-1 expression in human vascular endothelial cells: a possible role for PPAR_γ in endothelial function. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 258(2):431, 1999.
4.	Ono Y, Mizuno K, Gotoh M, Antihypertensive and hemodynamic effects of felodipine in essential hypertension. Curr. Ther. Res., 60(6): 392, 1999.
5.	Kato K, Mizuno K, Hashimoto S, Direct evidence for erythropoietin-induced release of endothelin from peripheral vascular tissue. Life Sci., 54(16): PL254, 1995.
6.	Mizuno K, Niimura S, Tani M, TCV-116, a newly developed angiotensin II receptor antagonist, induces regression of cardiac hypertrophy through suppression of the tissue renin-angiotensin system in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Life Sci., 54(25): PL1987, 1994.

To Contact Us

e-mail : mizuno@fmu.ac.jp