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Biomedical subjects

A Moriguchi

Publications and source records attributed to A Moriguchi.

99 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Effect of the calcium antagonist nicardipine on the pressor action of endothelin.

To evaluate hemodynamic actions of endothelin, anesthetized normal dogs and dogs with two doses of nicardipine received endothelin (400 pmol/kg, i.v.). Normal dogs showed an increase in blood pressure (BP) associated with an early (5 min) increase in cardiac output (CO) and a later (60 min) increase in total peripheral resistance (TPR). The lower dose of nicardipine (0.01 mg/kg/h) abolished the latter vasoconstrictive BP elevation. Dogs with the higher dose of nicardipine (0.1 mg/kg/h) did not show any changes in BP, CO or TPR. Thus, endothelin has both cardiostimulatory and vasoconstrictive actions, depending on the degree of calcium influx.

Animals↗

[Familial spontaneous pneumothorax in three siblings including identical twins].

Two identical twin brothers and their sister who suffered from spontaneous pneumothorax (ages at onset, 18, 22 and 20 years) were admitted to our hospital. Their symptoms and clinical courses were similar and all three were finally treated by thoracotomy. No other members of their family had any history of spontaneous pneumothorax. None of these cases presented any abnormal level of serum ACE or alpha 1-antitrypsin. In order to establish the monozygosity of the brothers more accurately, we examined restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) which were shown as the band patterns of hypervariable minisatellite regions in human genomes. However there have been few reports of spontaneous pneumothorax in identical twins, but the onset of the disease tends to be the same as in our cases, suggesting a genetical background of spontaneous pneumothorax.

Adolescent↗

Myelin proteolipid protein gene structure and its regulation of expression in normal and jimpy mutant mice.

The mouse proteolipid protein (PLP) gene was cloned into the lambda bacteriophage Charon 4A. The organization and the nucleotide sequence of the exons of the mouse PLP gene were quite similar to those of their human counterparts, consisting of seven exons. The transcription of the PLP gene started from multiple sites. There was a unique sequence tandemly repeated four times, sharing homology with the herpes simplex virus DR2 sequence, upstream from the transcribed region. Expression of the myelin basic protein (MBP) is also restricted to the oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system as is the PLP expression. Homology search against the mouse MBP gene revealed that several boxes in the 5'-flanking region of PLP show a high degree of homology with the sequence present in the MBP 5'-flanking region, possibly of importance in the concomitant expression of both genes in the central nervous system. PLP-mRNA in jimpy mutant mice does not contain exon 5 and its content is greatly reduced. We analyzed the jimpy PLP-mRNA and showed that the transcription initiated from the same sites as those in normal mice. Cloning and sequencing of the 5'-flanking region of the jimpy PLP gene revealed that there were no mutations in the promoter region of the jimpy PLP gene. Therefore, it is likely that a mutation, presumably existing within the jimpy PLP gene, caused the skipping of exon 5 and directly affected the mRNA level.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The fifth exon of the myelin proteolipid protein-coding gene is not utilized in the brain of jimpy mutant mice.

The jimpy mouse, an X-linked recessive dysmyelinating and demyelinating mutant, has been shown to contain abnormal myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) mRNA. To understand the molecular basis of the mutation, we analyzed the structure of PLP mRNA by an RNase-mapping procedure, using the probes specific to each exon of the mouse PLP gene. We found that the fifth exon of the PLP gene is not utilized in the jimpy.

Animals↗

Inefficient transcription of the myelin basic protein gene possibly causes hypomyelination in myelin-deficient mutant mice.

A hereditary dysmyelination mutation, named myelin deficient (mld), is considered to be allelic to shiverer, a deletion mutation of the myelin basic protein (MBP) gene. The present study showed that MBP expression is greatly reduced in mld, but that it is still detectable. Northern blot analysis revealed that the pronounced decrease in the MBP level in mld resulted from a reduced mRNA level and was not caused by deletion of a large portion of the MBP gene as in shiverer. Southern blot studies with BamHI-digested chromosomal DNA suggested some part of the MBP gene, at least the 5'-portion, was duplicated in mld. These results indicated that the mld and shiverer mutations were different from each other, even though genetic allelism between the two was reconfirmed. We also examined the developmental pattern of the gene expression of MBP and that of another protein, myelin proteolipid protein (PLP), specifically expressed in the oligodendrocyte, in mld by RNA dot blot study. The mRNA level of MBP in mld was greatly reduced during the active myelination stages, gradually increasing and remaining constant in the later stages. The PLP-mRNA content in mld was almost normal (60-80% that of control) at any stage of development. All these findings imply that the primary defect in mld is due to reduced transcriptional activity of the MBP gene.

Alleles↗

Enzyme immunoassay of human protein C by using monoclonal antibodies.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring human protein C by using two monoclonal antibodies directed toward the heavy chain of protein C is reported. This assay enabled the determination of protein C in concentrations of 10 to 400 ng/ml in less than 3 hours with a single antigen-antibody reaction. Within-run and between-run coefficients of variation were less than 8%. The mean concentrations of protein C in plasma of 42 normal subjects, 24 patients with liver disease, 27 with DIC, 48 with warfarin therapy and 15 with congenital protein C deficiency, were 4.2, 3.0, 2.3, 2.1 and 1.9 micrograms/ml, respectively. The results obtained with the present ELISA correlated well with those of radioimmunoassay (r = 0.935, n = 81) as well as those of Laurell's Rocket method (r = 0.910, n = 81) by using rabbit anti-human protein C serum. The present method was sensitive and specific for measurement of protein C and also PIVKA-protein C in plasma.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Effect of cromakalim (BRL 34915) on hemodynamic and electrocardiographic changes induced by endothelin in dogs.

We evaluated whether cromakalim (BRL 34915), a vasorelaxant agent which acts by opening potassium channels, could affect the systemic effects of endothelin, a newly discovered vasoconstrictive peptide. Intravenous administration of endothelin alone (400 pmol/kg) to anesthetized dogs produced blood pressure elevation, which was associated with an increase in cardiac output in the early phase, and was associated with an increase in total peripheral resistance in the late phase. Electrocardiogram showed significant ST-elevation in II, III, and aVF, and ST-depression in aVR and aVL. The same dose of endothelin given to dogs pretreated with cromakalim did not induce these hemodynamic and electrocardiographic changes. Thus, cromakalim, a potassium activator, inhibited the hemodynamic and electrocardiographic actions of endothelin, suggesting that hyperpolarization due to potassium channel activation inhibited the voltage-dependent calcium channel, which is thought to be a major mechanism for the pressor action of endothelin.

Animals↗