Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Fujioka

Publications and source records attributed to A Fujioka.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Intra-axonal polysaccharide deposits in the peripheral nerve seen in adult polysaccharide storage myopathy.

This is the first report of an adult polysaccharide storage myopathy demonstrating polysaccharide deposits within the axons of the peripheral nerve. Histochemical and electron-microscopic studies revealed that the intra-axonal deposits were basophilic, PAS-positive, diastase-resistant, and composed of filamentous and granular material. The structural similarity among the polysaccharide deposits in our case, amylopectin-like materials in type IV glycogenosis, Lafora bodies, corpora amylacea, and polyglucosan bodies is discussed.

Adult↗

Plasma and erythrocyte magnesium concentrations in thyroid disease: relation to thyroid function and the duration of illness.

To clarify magnesium metabolism in thyroid dysfunction, plasma and erythrocyte magnesium concentrations (P-Mg, E-Mg) were determined in patients with untreated thyroid diseases and their relations to thyroid hormone levels and the duration of illness were examined. P-Mg was significantly lower in hyperthyroid patients than in euthyroid or hypothyroid individuals. E-Mg was significantly higher in hypothyroid patients than in hyperthyroid or euthyroid individuals. In the entire series of 84 subjects, both P-Mg and E-Mg showed significant negative correlations with thyroid hormone levels, but the correlations were greater in P-Mg than E-Mg. In hyperthyroid patients, both P-Mg and E-Mg were negatively correlated with the duration of illness, but this correlation was greater in E-Mg than P-Mg. Also, both P-Mg and E-Mg were significantly higher in patients with destructive thyroiditis with a short duration (0.5 months) such as subacute or painless thyroiditis than in patients with Graves' disease (4.9 months). These results suggest that magnesium metabolism in thyroid dysfunction is affected not only by thyroid hormone levels but also by the duration of illness.

Acute Disease↗

Levels of proelafin peptides in the sera of the patients with generalized pustular psoriasis and pustulosis palmoplantaris.

The levels of proelafin peptides in the sera of patients with pustulosis palmoplantaris, a unique type of localized pustular psoriasis, and generalized pustular psoriasis were determined by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using antibodies against synthetic proelafin polypeptides corresponding to the elastase inhibitor (elafin) and transglutaminase substrate domains. The sera of patients with pustulosis palmoplantaris (9 cases) exhibited a normal range of proelafin peptide levels. The sera of patients with generalized pustular psoriasis (3 cases) showed high titres of proelafin peptide. There were no large differences in the titres between the 2 antibodies. The antibodies for 2 different domains of proelafin showed a similar immunoreactivity for the non-pustular region of the epidermis in all pustulosis palmoplantaris tested. The results indicate that serum proelafin peptides in pustular psoriasis may depend on the extent of the involved area, and that proelafin peptide level in pustulosis palmoplantaris remains normal despite enhanced local expression in the lesional skin. Since the skin lesions of patients with pustulosis palmoplantaris are limited to the palms and soles, enhanced expression of proelafin in the lesional skin may not lead to elevation of proelafin peptides in the serum.

Adult↗

MR of the base of the pons in Wilson disease.

The authors describe unusual MR findings in three patients with Wilson disease, eg, white matter changes in the base of the pons, and speculate whether the changes are caused by Wilson disease or by concomitant disease, and whether the pontine lesions they observed are primary or related to lesions located more rostrally.

Adult↗

Antitumor activity of menogaril alone, and in combination against human mammary cancer models in mice and rats.

Menogaril is an antitumor agent different from other anthracyclines in being active after oral administration. To predict its clinical effectiveness by this route against human breast cancer, we compared its antitumor activity against breast cancer in experimental animals with that of injected Adriamycin. Menogaril had half the much antitumor activity of Adriamycin against human mammary cancer cell lines. Menogaril given orally also had a antitumor activity against mammary cancer caused by 7,12-dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene in rats comparable with that of Adriamycin. The high concentration of menogaril in tumor tissue seemed to contribute to its effectiveness. Of several combinations of cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, menogaril, and 5-fluorouracil, the combination of cyclophosphamide, menogaril, and 5-fluorouracil was most effective against mouse leukemia L1210 and human breast cancer xenografts in mice. This combination might have antitumor activity against breast cancer superior to that of the therapy currently of first choice (cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, and 5-fluorouracil) in the clinic.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Activity of menogaril against various malignant lymphoma cell lines and a human lymphoma xenograft in mice.

Menogaril is an antitumor agent different from other anthracyclines in that it is active after oral administration; therefore, extravasation is not a side effect. In this basic study, we examined the antitumor activity of menogaril against malignant lymphoma. We compared its activity towards experimental malignant lymphoma with that of Adriamycin, epirubicin, pirarubicin, vincristine, and etoposide, treating mice with each drug at the dose schedule usually used for patients. Menogaril rapidly penetrated lymphoma cells and remained there at least 3 hours after the drug was washed out. Menogaril cleaved more double-stranded DNA in lymphoma cells than Adriamycin, epirubicin, pirarubicin, or etoposide. Menogaril had stronger antitumor activity against experimental malignant lymphoma in mice than Adriamycin, epirubicin, vincristine, and etoposide. Menogaril significantly lengthened the life span of mice bearing one of three lymphoma cell lines resistant to cisplatin, vincristine, or cyclophosphamide. Menogaril had stronger antitumor activity against the human malignant lymphoma xenograft LM-3 than Adriamycin. The strength of the cytotoxic activity of Menogaril might arise from its ready penetration into cells and its cleavage of double-stranded DNA. Therefore, Menogaril might become a useful drug for the treatment of patients with malignant lymphoma by oral administration; 7 days of administration was effective in the in vivo experiments.

Animals↗

Augmentation of the chemotherapeutic effectiveness of UFT, a combination of tegafur [1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil] with uracil, by oral l-leucovorin.

UFT, combination of tegafur [1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil] with uracil, is widely-used as an anti-neoplastic agent in Japan. We evaluated the anti-tumor efficacy of the combined modality of UFT with oral l-leucovorin. The augmentation of anti-tumor activity of UFT by co-administration of l-leucovorin was observed over a dose of 1.85 mg/kg (5.55 mg/m2) and was significant at a dose of 5.56 mg/kg (16.7 mg/m2). Using ten human tumor xenografts, l-leucovorin significantly enhanced the growth-suppressive ability of UFT against colon carcinoma (KM20C, Col-1) and mammary carcinoma (H-31, MX-1). Among various 5-fluorouracil (FUra) derivatives, such as UFT, 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-DFUR) and FUra, l-leucovorin gave the maximum augmentation to the anti-tumor activity of UFT, due to the prolonged half-life of FUra in plasma. Enhancement of the cytotoxic activity of FUra by l-leucovorin against KM20C colon carcinoma cell line was observed in a time-dependent manner at a concentration of 0.01 microM l-leucovorin. Based on these results, we conclude that the combination of UFT with oral l-leucovorin has significant antitumor activity and represents an interesting regimen to be evaluated in the clinical setting.

Administration, Oral↗