Kagoshima University · Division of Veterinary Medicine, School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine

Research keywordsenteric nervous system・colorectal motility・dopamine D2-like receptors・Parkinson's disease model・neuronal differentiation・lumbosacral defecation center・3D tissue imaging・autonomic neurophysiology

This is a public-data preview. Personalized fit, contact angles, and saved workflows require sign-in.

• Horii Y, Naitou K, Shiina T . Dynamics of blood glucose changes and hormonal sensitivity under anesthesia with medetomidine-midazolam-butorphanol anesthesia in rats. . Re2026 · 担当区分： 筆頭著者 記述言語： 英語 掲載種別： 研究論文（学術雑誌） DOI： 10.1016/j.rvsc.2026.106159 PubMed
• Matano T., Naitou K., Ferdous J., Shiina T., Shiraishi M. . Proposal for a simple and easy-to-implement protocol for three-dimensional tissue imaging that is compatible with observation using2025 · 担当区分： 責任著者 記述言語： 英語 掲載種別： 研究論文（学術雑誌） 出版者・発行元： Acta Histochemica Tissue observation has traditionally been limited to obtaining two-dimensional information from thinly sliced tissues due to issues with light transmission and antibody penetration. In recent years, three-dimensional tissue observation methods combining tissue clearing and deep immunostaining methods have been reported. However, due to the significantly different procedures in these methods from conventional immunostaining methods and the requirement for an expensive and specialized light-sheet microscope for tissue observation, the widespread adoption of these methods has been limited. To promote the shift from the current two-dimensional tissue observation to three-dimensional tissue observation using a combination of tissue clearing and immunostaining, it is essential to establish a simple and easy-to-implement protocol that is compatible with observation using a confocal microscope, which is available in many facilities. In this study, we first examined the effects of tissue clearing and staining conditions of immunostaining with thin tissue slices. We showed that CUBIC-L enhances immunolabeling without diminishing the immunoreactivity of antigens. We also showed that high detergent concentrations enhance the intensity of immunoreactivity and that a two-step staining procedure is suitable for our proposed protocol. Based on the results, we propose a simple protocol that can be easily adapted from conventional methods and is compatible with confocal microscopes. The results of this study are expected to facilitate a shift from traditional methods to three-dimensional tissue observation techniques that combine tissue clearing and immunostaining, contributing to the broader adoption of three-dimensional tissue observation. DOI： 10.1016/j.acthis.2025.152257 Scopus PubMed
• Masuda Y., Rakib T.M., Akter L., Nakagawa K., Naitou K., Saito A., Yamaguchi R., Matsumoto Y. . Nanopore sequencing-based measurement of paramyxovirus RNA editing reveals virus-specific differ2025 · 記述言語： 英語 掲載種別： 研究論文（学術雑誌） 出版者・発行元： Virology Paramyxovirus polymerase recognizes an RNA editing signal on the viral genome and transcribes mRNA in which guanine nucleotides are inserted in a template-independent manner. This enables the synthesis of multiple proteins from a single gene, which is important for viral growth. We developed a method to quantify RNA editing efficiency using Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ MinION platform. We performed sequence analysis of reverse transcription-PCR amplicons with the RNA editing sites in cells infected with Sendai virus (SeV) and canine distemper virus (CDV). By modifying reverse transcription primers, we simultaneously assessed RNA editing efficiency in mRNA, antigenome and genome. We observed distinct differences in mRNA editing efficiency between SeV and CDV. Notably, while RNA editing in SeV is confined to mRNA, in CDV it is also observed in antigenome/genome. (Anti)genomes harboring extra nucleotides may deviate from a multiple-of-six sequence, suggesting that RNAs not following the “Rule of Six” are produced in CDV-infected cells. DOI： 10.1016/j.virol.2025.110572 Scopus PubMed
• Sawamura T., Yuki N., Horii K., Naitou K., Yamaguchi H., Yamanaka A., Shiina T., Shimizu Y. . Essential roles of the hypothalamic A11 region and the medullary raphe nuclei in regulation of col2023 · 記述言語： 英語 掲載種別： 研究論文（学術雑誌） 出版者・発行元： American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology The supraspinal brain regions controlling defecation reflex remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine the roles of the hypothalamic A11 region and the medullary raphe nuclei in regulation of defecation. For chemogenetic manipulation of specific neurons, we used the double virus vector infection method in rats. hM3Dq or hM4Di was expressed in neurons of the A11 region and/or the raphe nuclei that send output to the lumbosacral defecation center. Immunohistological and functional experiments revealed that both the A11 region and the raphe nuclei directly connected with the lumbosacral spinal cord through descending pathways composed of stimulatory monoaminergic neurons. Stimulation of the hM3Dq-expressing neurons in the A11 region or the raphe nuclei enhanced colorectal motility only when GABAergic transmission in the lumbosacral spinal cord was blocked by bicuculline. Experiments using inhibitory hM4Di-expressing rats revealed that enhancement of colorectal motility caused by noxious stimuli in the colon is mediated by both the A11 region and the raphe nuclei. Furthermore, suppression of the A11 region and/or the raphe nuclei significantly inhibited water avoidance stress-induced defecation. These findings demonstrate that the A11 region and the raphe nuclei play an essential role in the regulation of colorectal motility. This is important because brain regions that mediate both intracolonic noxious stimuli-induced defecation and stress-induced defecation have been clarified for the first time. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The A11 region and the raphe nuclei, constituting descending pain inhibitory pathways, are related to both intracolonic noxious stimuli-induced colorectal motility and stress-induced defecation. Our findings may provide an explanation for the concurrent appearance of abdominal pain and defecation disorders in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Furthermore, overlap of the pathway controlling colorectal motility with the pathway mediating stress responses may explain why stress exacerbates bowel symptoms. DOI： 10.1152/ajpgi.00019.2023 Scopus PubMed

• 牛受精卵の発育状況を観察する小型で低価格なDIY顕微鏡の開発2025 · 担当区分： 研究代表者 資金種別： 競争的資金
• 組織透明化とライトシート顕微鏡を用いた排便制御ネットワークの解明2025 · 担当区分： 研究代表者 資金種別： 競争的資金
• 神経科学的アプローチによる狂犬病の病態の「本質」の解明2024 · 担当区分： 研究分担者 資金種別： 競争的資金
• ベストティーチャー賞2023 · 2023年8月 鹿児島大学

• Official profile