New Frontiers in Lifestyle-Related Diseases [electronic resource] / edited by Akira Miyazaki, Michio Imawari.

Regulation of Feeding and Energy Homeostasis in the Brain -- Orphan Neuropeptides and the Regulation of Food Intake -- Neuronal Mechanisms of Feeding Regulation by Peptides -- Distribution and Localization of Galanin-like peptide (GALP) in Brain -- Functional Analysis of GALP in Feeding Regulation -- Regulation of Energy Homeostasis by GALP -- Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis -- Cholesterol Trafficking and Esterification With Relation to Atherosclerosis and Neurodegenerative Diseases -- Atherogenic Lipoproteins in Type 2 Diabetes with Nephropathy -- Regulatory mechanisms for cytosolic prostaglandin E synthase, cPGES/p23 -- Regulation of Intracellular Lipid Storage and Adipose Differentiation-Related Protein (ADRP) -- Roles of Vasoactive Agents in Macrophage Foam Cell Formation and Atherosclerosis -- Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases -- Sleep Apnea and Metabolic and Cardiovascular Complications -- Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Atherosclerosis -- Significance of Small Dense Low-Density Lipoproteins in Coronary Heart Disease -- Statin decreases IL-1 and LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines production in oral epithelial cells -- Poster Sessions -- Onco-suppressor p53 protein prevents an Alzheimer disease mouse model, Pin1-null mouse from the increase of presenilin-1 -- Quantification of mouse oxidized low-density lipoprotein by sandwich ELISA -- Regulation of sPLA2-IIA expression in cytokinestimulated rat fibroblasts -- Comparison Between Small Dense LDL-Cholesterol and LDL-Cholesterol to Predict Coronary Events in Stable Coronary Heart Disease -- Acceleration of foam cell formation by leptin in human monocyte-derived macrophages.

It is my great pleasure to publish New Frontiers in Lifestyle-Related Disá eases, the proceedings of the Showa University International Symposium for Life Sciences, 3rd Annual Meeting, held at Showa University on Sepá tember 13, 2006. This symposium was supported, in part, by Grants for the Promotion of the Advancement of Education and Research in Graduate Schools and Ordinary Expenses for Private Schools from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan. On behalf of Showa University, I would like to express my deepest thanks to all the authors and editors for their great contribution to the publication of this memorable book that accelerates research activity in lifestyle-related diseases. Akiyoshi Hosoyamada, M.D., Ph.D. President, Showa University Tokyo, Japan September 2007 v Preface The leading cause of death in Western countries and some developing countries is atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Among them, acute myocardial infarction is the most common type of fatal disease, caused by the progression of atherosclerosis characterized by accumulation of cholesá terol in vascular walls. Development of atherosclerosis is greatly enhanced by major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as obesity, hyperlipá idemia, diabetes (hyperglycemia), and hypertension. Among those, obesity frequently initiates a metabolic change that subsequently induces hyperlipá idemia, diabetes, hypertension, and eventually atherosclerotic cardiovascuá lar diseases. Because obesity and its related disorders largely depend on lifestyle factors such as high calorie intake and low physical activity, a series of disorders are termed lifestyle-related diseases.