title: Laughter modulates prorenin receptor gene expression in patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess whether laughter influences the expression of the receptor gene for prorenin that participates in the progression of diabetic nephropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen normal subjects and 23 patients with type 2 diabetes [12 nephropathy (-) and 11 nephropathy (+)] were recruited to examine the effects of laughter on the modulation of prorenin receptor gene expression. After watching a comedy show, laughter-induced changes in the levels of blood prorenin and the expression of prorenin receptor gene were analyzed by an antibody-activating direct enzyme kinetic assay and by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In diabetic patients, laughter decreased the level of blood prorenin [93.4-60.4 ng/l in nephropathy (-) patients, 196.6-166.7 ng/l in nephropathy (+) patients] and up-regulated the prorenin receptor gene [1.49-fold in nephropathy (-) patients, 1.46-fold in nephropathy (+) patients]. No significant changes in the expression of this gene were recognized in normal subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The beneficial effects of laughter on preventing the exacerbation of diabetic nephropathy are strongly suggested in terms of normalizing the expression of the prorenin receptor gene followed by reducing the level of blood prorenin.
authors.affiliation: Bio-Laboratory, Foundation for Advancement of International Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. hayashi@fais.or.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Urayama
authors.forename: Miyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Shigeko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Uddin Mohammad
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Nasir
authors.forename: Shizuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwanaga
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000093342:Prorenin Receptor
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D000093342:Prorenin Receptor