About the Authors

Keisuke Miki

mikisuke@toneyama.go.jp

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan

Ryoji Maekura

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan

Noritoshi Nagaya

Affiliation Department of Regenerative Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Japan

Masamitsu Nakazato

Affiliation Department of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Hiroshi Kimura

Affiliation Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan

Shinsuke Murakami

Affiliation Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan

Shunsuke Ohnishi

Affiliation Department of Regenerative Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Japan

Toru Hiraga

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan

Mari Miki

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan

Seigo Kitada

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan

Kenji Yoshimura

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan

Yoshitaka Tateishi

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan

Yasuji Arimura

Affiliation Department of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Nobuhiro Matsumoto

Affiliation Department of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Masanori Yoshikawa

Affiliation Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan

Kenichi Yamahara

Affiliation Department of Regenerative Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Japan

Kenji Kangawa

Affiliation Department of Biochemistry, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Japan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: NN KK MN HK RM MY KM SM SO NM K. Yamahara. Performed the experiments: RM KM HK MN NN TH MM SK K. Yoshimura YT MY SM YA NM SO. Analyzed the data: KM RM HK MN NN TH MM SK K. Yoshimura YT MY SM YA NM SO K. Yamahara KK. Wrote the paper: KM.