Abstract:
There are provided PACAP which is a substance capable of inhibiting the hyperplasia of pancreatic cells and/or the hypersecretion of insulin by pancreatic cells, a method for inhibiting the hyperplasia of pancreatic cells and/or the hypersecretion of insulin by pancreatic cells in a human by PACAP administration, a pharmaceutical composition containing PACAP and, optionally, an anti-diabetic agent, and a method for evaluating a substance capable of inhibiting the hyperplasia of pancreatic cells and/or the hypersecretion of insulin by pancreatic cells relying on the expression of Reg IIIβ to be stimulated by PACAP as an index.
Abstract:
A method of performing direct current pressurized sintering to powder in a mold having a cylindrical molding space, wherein sintering is continuously effected while relatively moving a current portion and a sintering subject; and a sintering device characterized in that the vertical position of the current electrodes is unchanged and the mold and the sintering subject are successively moved with respect to the current electrodes, so as to effect continuous sintering. A sintering method and a sintering device that are superior in sintering ability are provided wherein even if the sintered body is in the form of a long-size rod or has an uneven cross-section, the sintered body is uniform in quality.
Abstract:
An enzymatic method for the preparation of a fructose-containing oligosaccharide, in which a .beta.-fructofuranosidase obtained by culturing Arthrobacter sp. K-1 (FERM BP-3192) as an enzyme is reacted on sucrose, raffinose or stachyose as the donor in the presence of an aldose or ketose as the receptor. The enzyme is characterized by:(1) activity on sucrose for the transglycosidation of a fructosyl group to the receptor in the presence of a monosaccharide, sugar alcohol, alkyl alcohol, glycoside or oligosaccharide;(2) activity for the decomposition of sucrose, elrose, neokestose, xylsucrose, raffinose and stachyose with inactivity on a saccharide selected from the group consisting of 1-kestose, nistose, inulobiose and levan biose;(3) optimum pH of 6.5 to 6.8 at 40.degree. C. with stability at a pH of 5.5 to 10;(4) optimum temperature of 55.degree. C. at a pH of 6.5 exhibiting at least 70% of residual activity at 60.degree. C.;(5) susceptibility to inhibition by the ions of silver, mercury, zinc, copper and tin;(6) two molecular weights of 52,000.+-.2,500 and 58,000.+-.2,500; and(7) two isoelectric points of pH 4.3 and pH 4.6.