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Biomedical subjects

A Sakai

Publications and source records attributed to A Sakai.

605 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
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Giant linear plasmids in Streptomyces which code for antibiotic biosynthesis genes.

A number of examples of circular plasmids with specific functions are known in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Several linear plasmids have also been identified, but these are all relatively small: large linear plasmids cannot be separated from chromosomal DNA by conventional techniques. There are several cases where the genetic evidence suggests that a character is encoded by a plasmid but no plasmid can be physically detected. This has been the case for antibiotic synthesis genes in Streptomyces; in particular a plasmid SCP1 in Streptomyces coelicolor has been shown to be involved in methylenomycin production by genetic evidence. We report here the application of orthogonal-field-alternation gel electrophoresis to the isolation of linear plasmids from Streptomyces. We have discovered a large linear plasmid of around 520 kilobases in Streptomyces lasaliensis and subsequently similar giant linear plasmids in other Streptomyces strains. We have confirmed that genes for methylenomycin biosynthesis are located on a series of giant linear plasmids in S. coelicolor. These observations may bear on the genetic variability and unstable genetic character of Streptomyces species.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
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Pharmacodynamic study of procaterol hydrochloride dry powder inhaler: evaluation of pharmacodynamic equivalence between procaterol hydrochloride dry powder inhaler and procaterol hydrochloride metered-dose inhaler in asthma patients in a randomized, double-dummy, double-blind crossover manner.

Therapeutic equivalence between procaterol hydrochloride dry powder inhaler (Meptin DPI) and procaterol hydrochloride metered-dose inhaler (Meptin MDI), the currently marketed formulation, was assessed in 16 patients with bronchial asthma. The study was conducted in a randomized, double-dummy, double-blind crossover manner, using forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) as an index of bronchodilatory effect. In Period I, the patients received 20 mcg of either Meptin DPI or Meptin MDI, and then crossed over in Period II after a washout interval of 3--28 days. Pharmacodynamic equivalence was accessed using AUC (FEV1)/h and peak FEV1 as indices, and the data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Factors used for the analysis were the treatment group and/or carryover effect, patients within each group, period, and treatment. The 90% confidence intervals for the differences between the two treatments were --0.0995 to --0.0204 (L) for mean AUC (FEV1)/h and --0.102 to --0.022 (L) for mean peak FEV1, both within the acceptance criteria of --0.15 to 0.15 (L). Meptin DPI was therefore assessed as being equivalent to the current Meptin MDI.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pachydermoperiostosis with myelofibrosis and anemia: report of a case of anemia of multifactorial causes and its improvement with steroid pulse and iron therapy.

A 26-year-old male patient with pachydermoperiostosis is reported. He had severe anemia with myelofibrosis. Treatment with iron, prednisolone, oxymethorone and 1 alpha (OH)D3 were not satisfactory. But steroid pulse therapy with parenteral iron improved his anemia and pancytopenia, but was not sufficient to relieve the bone marrow fibrosis or splenomegaly. The mechanism of anemia which was considered to be multifactorial including gastro-intestinal bleeding associated with peptic ulcer or erosion and bone marrow failure due to myelofibrosis, is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of immune complexes in serum from patients with rheumatoid vasculitis on the expression of cell adhesion molecules on polymorphonuclear cells.

OBJECTIVE: Immune complexes (IC) are frequently detected in patients with rheumatoid vasculitis (RV). To explore the pathogenic role of IC in the development of vasculitis among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we examined the effect of IC on the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAM) on polymorphonuclear cells (PMN). METHODS: PMN from healthy volunteers were incubated with the sera from 26 patients with RA including 9 patients with RV, and the expression of CAM on the PMN was assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: We found that 67% (6/9) of the serum samples from RV patients and 18% (3/17) of the samples from RA patients without RV revealed up-regulated CD11b expression. On the other hand, 89% (8/9) of the samples from RV patients and 12% (2/17) of the samples from RA patients without RV revealed up-regulated CD18 expression. However, the expression of CD11a was not affected. Up-regulation of CD11b and CD18 on PMN was also induced by the immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction of the sera of RV patients. Moreover, L-selectin expression on PMN was down-regulated by the sera or IgG of some patients with RV. These changes in CAM expression on PMN induced by IgG of RV patients were not observed when PMN were incubated with the IgG of RV patients from which the IC formed by IgG had been removed. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that IC formed by IgG in patients with RA are involved in the development of vasculitis by affecting the expression of CAM on PMN.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Newly developed encapsulation-dehydration protocol for plantcryopreservation.

A simplified and efficient encapsulation-dehydration protocol, which is a compromise between vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration, was presented for plant cryopreservation. In this protocol, during the encapsulation process, the apices precultured with 0.3 M sucrose for 16 h were simultaneously osmoprotected with a mixture of 02 M glycerol plus 0.4 M sucrose for 1 h. These encapsulated apices were directly dehydrated with dry silica gel prior to a plunge into LN without the pretreatment of 0.8M sucrose for 16 h. This protocol produced much higher rates of recovery growth in the three plant species tested (wasabi, chrysanthemum, and mint) than those cryopreserved by the conventional encapsulation-dehydration. This protocol also considerably reduced the time needed for the cryogenic procedure. Thus, this new protocol appears promising for cryopreservation of shoot apices and other explants.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Left ventricular hypertrophy due to aortic bypass grafting with a long prosthesis.

Progressive left ventricular hypertrophy was observed following operations in which long bypasses were inserted from the ascending aorta to the abdominal aorta for aneurysm exclusion in cases of thoracic aortic aneurysm. This effect was not observed after operations in which there was grafting with a short prosthesis for abdominal aortic aneurysm, wrapping and trans-section of the dissecing aneurysm. Clinical and experimental studies of the hemodynamic aspects suggest that the left ventricular hypertrophy was caused by an increase in systolic blood pressure at the aortic root due to the low distensibility of the long graft, a decrease in the Windkessel effect by exclusion of the proximal aorta and energy loss by turbulence formation of the proximal anastomotic area. Therefore, the distensibility or compliance at the long prosthesis seems to be very important in cases with long grafts of the aorta.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Long-acting nicardipine for elderly hypertensive patients: effect on diurnal variation of blood pressure.

The effect of long-acting nicardipine tablets on diurnal variation of blood pressure was compared with that of standard nicardipine tablets and long-acting nifedipine tablets by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in 35 patients with hypertension. Long-acting nicardipine decreased systolic blood pressure in each age group, and there was no difference in its anti-hypertensive effect when compared with the other two drugs. All three drugs had no effect on the amplitude of daily blood pressure variation, and all three drugs decreased the baseline blood pressure in each age group when compared with untreated patients. In addition, no change was observed in the decrement of baseline blood pressure after switching from the other two drugs to long-acting nicardipine. Long-acting nicardipine had less effect on diurnal blood pressure variation than standard nicardipine tablets, which are administered three times daily. In each age group, long-acting nicardipine also more effectively inhibited the increase in cardiac work resulting from the morning rise phenomenon when compared with standard nicardipine tablets. These findings suggest that long-acting nicardipine may be a more useful preparation for the treatment of essential hypertension, particularly in elderly patients.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MR anatomy of the substantia innominata and findings in Alzheimer disease: a preliminary report.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate normal MR anatomy of the substantia innominata and its changes in Alzheimer disease on MR imaging. METHODS: Using a 1.5-T superconductive MR unit, thickness of the substantia innominata was measured on coronal thin-section images obtained in 22 patients with Alzheimer disease and 14 age-matched control subjects. Comparison of these images with postmortem specimens of human brain was also performed. RESULTS: On T2-weighted images through the anterior commissure, the substantia innominata was clearly identified between the globus pallidus and the anterior perforated substance. In Alzheimer disease, thinning of the substantia innominata was more frequently observed than in the age-matched controls. CONCLUSION: Thin-section T2-weighted coronal MR images can demonstrate shrinkage of the substantia innominata, a finding that may aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease.

Aged↗