Biomedical subjects

A Tsuji

Publications and source records attributed to A Tsuji.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Sodium and chloride ion-dependent transport of beta-alanine across the blood-brain barrier.

The characteristics of beta-alanine transport at the blood-brain barrier were studied by using primary cultured bovine brain capillary endothelial cells. Kinetic analysis of the beta-[3H]alanine transport indicated that the transporter for beta-alanine functions with Kt of 25.3 +/- 2.5 microM and Jmax of 6.90 +/- 0.48 nmol/30 min/mg of protein in the brain capillary endothelial cells. Beta-[3H]Alanine uptake is mediated by an active transporter, because metabolic inhibitors (2,4-dinitrophenol and NaN3) and low temperature reduced the uptake significantly. Furthermore, the uptake of beta-[3H]alanine required Na+ and Cl- in the external medium. Stoichiometric analysis of the transport demonstrated that two sodium ions and one chloride ion are associated with one beta-alanine molecule. The Na+ and Cl--dependent uptake of beta-[3H]alanine was stimulated by a valinomycin-induced inside-negative K+-diffusion potential. beta-Amino acids (beta-alanine, taurine, and hypotaurine) inhibited strongly the uptake of beta-[3H]-alanine, whereas alpha- and gamma-amino acids had little or no inhibitory effect. In ATP-depleted cells, the uptake of beta-[3H]alanine was stimulated by preloading of beta-alanine or taurine but not L-leucine. These results show that beta-alanine is taken up by brain capillary endothelial cells, via the secondary active transport mechanism that is common to beta-amino acids.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1996

Purification and characterization of a novel serine proteinase from the microsomal fraction of bovine pancreas.

A novel trypsin-like serine proteinase was purified to homogeneity from the bovine pancreas microsome fraction. The enzyme was solubilized with 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethyl-ammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS), and purified by a series of column chromatographic steps on Ultrogel AcA-34, trypsin inhibitor-Sepharose 4B, and arginine-Sepharose 4B. The molecular mass of this pancreas trypsin-like proteinase (bPTLP) was estimated to be 29.5 kDa by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. The NH2-terminal sequence of bPTLP is very homologous, but not identical to those of other serine proteinases, especially such as elastases IV, II, and III. Substrate specificity studies involving a synthetic substrate and glucagon indicated that the enzyme hydrolyzes Arg-X, Lys-X, and Leu-X bonds. The best synthetic substrate for bPTLP was t-butyloxycarbonyl Gln-Arg-Arg-4-methylcoumaryl 7-amide. The enzyme failed to hydrolyze the substrate for chymotrypsin and elastase. The enzyme activity was inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, p-amidinophenylmethane sulfonylfluoride, and leupeptin, indicating that it is a serine-proteinase. These findings show that bPTLP is a novel serine-proteinase which differs from all known proteinases. The physiological function of the enzyme has yet to be determined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Gigantic aneurysm in the thoraco-abdominal aorta of an infant.

We report the case of a boy with a gigantic aneurysm in the thoraco-abdominal region which was detected by a chest X-ray taken prior to surgical correction of ptosis of the eyelids at 11 months of age. At 18 months, he successfully underwent aneurysm exclusion and bypass grafting. A biopsy from the thoracic aorta revealed medial degeneration with conspicuous smooth muscle cell involvement. Laboratory examination showed altered elastase activity in the granulocytes and whole blood. The present case may represent a unique form of aneurysm in infancy.

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal↗

PubMed1996

An upregulation of interleukin-2 receptor, transferrin receptor expression and cytokine production mediated by hemin in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that hemin-induced mitogenicity in mouse splenocytes was potentiated up to two-fold by interleukin (IL)-2, and the combination of hemin and IL-2 was also effective in inducing cytotoxicity for NK-resistant target cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hemin both on expression of membrane surface receptors and on production of cytokine in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). METHODS: Human PBMC were obtained from 16 healthy volunteers. We analyzed hemin-mediated surface phenotypes of cells using flow cytometry, and levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interferon (IFN)-gamma in the culture-supernatant of cells by ELISA system. RESULTS: Hemin induced increased expression of both transferrin receptor and IL-2 receptor (CD25) on PBMC in a dose-dependent manner. When the combination of hemin (30 mumol/L) and IL-2 (100 U/mL) was added to the culture of PBMC, the population of double positive cells was increased up to 70.4%. These effects of hemin were enhanced by the addition of catalase in the culture. Treatment with hemin plus IL-2 effectively enhanced the production of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma in PBMC. CONCLUSION: Hemin upregulated both IL-2 receptor and transferrin receptor expression, and stimulated TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma production in PBMC. IL-2 cooperated with hemin in eliciting these effects.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Physicochemical properties of calcium polycarbophil, a water-absorbing polymer.

The physicochemical properties of calcium polycarbophil were examined. Calcium polycarbophil was decalcified rapidly under acidic conditions, affording polycarbophil. Polycarbophil absorbed about 10 times its own weight of water under acidic conditions, but the swelling ratio markedly increased at above pH 4.0 and reached 70 times the initial weight under neutral conditions. The swelling of polycarbophil was not affected by non-ionic osmolarity, but was affected by ionic strength, showing a decrease with increase of ionic strength. Monovalent metal ions such as sodium and potassium ions in gastrointestinal fluid did not reduce the equilibrium swelling of polycarbophil, but divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium ions did. However, calcium ion only slightly reduced the equilibrium swelling under sodium-rich conditions. The viscosity (as an indicator of fluidity) of polycarbophil was larger than that of CMC-Na at every shear rate and polymer content examined.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMed1996

Blood-brain-barrier transport of lipid microspheres containing clinprost, a prostaglandin I2 analogue.

Because the permeability of the blood-brain barrier to lipid microspheres (LMs) has not hitherto been demonstrated, blood-brain-barrier permeability to LM containing the prostaglandin I2 analogue clinprost has been evaluated for an in-vitro system of primary cultured monolayers of bovine brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs), by a capillary depletion study in rats and by an in-situ brain perfusion study in normal and 4-vessel-occluded fore brain ischaemic rats. Although energy-dependency was not observed in [3H]clinprost uptake by BCECs, in accordance with results for simple diffusional transport, uptake of [3H]clinprost contained in lipid microspheres (denoted [3H]clinprost(LM)) was significantly inhibited by the endocytosis inhibitor, dansylcadaverine. The transport of LM into BCECs by endocytosis was also confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and flow-cytometric analysis using LM labelled with a fluorescent probe, 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (Dil). The absolute uptake of Dil(LM) by BCECs, measured by HPLC, was, however, almost 1/10 that of [3H]clinprost(LM), results which suggest the superiority of simple diffusion of clinprost over endocytosis of its LM form in the uptake of clinprost(LM) by BCECs. In the capillary-depletion study with rat-brain-perfused [3H]clinprost(LM) from the internal carotid artery, the parenchyma apparent distribution volume was about 45 times larger than that of the capillary, showing that [3H]clinprost(LM) was transported through the blood-brain barrier into the brain. The permeability coefficients of [3H]clinprost and [3H]clinprost(LM) determined by insitu brain perfusion in normal rats were considerably higher than those of the active metabolite [3H]isocarbacyclin and its LM form. In addition, the Blood-brain-barrier permeabilities to [3H]clinprost, [3H]isocarbacyclin and their LM forms in ischaemic rats were almost identical to those in normal rats. It was concluded that clinprost(LM) was transported through the blood-brain barrier by endocytosis of LM, simple diffusion of clinprost released from LM, and transport of isocarbacyclin generated by hydrolysis of clinprost. The blood-brain-barrier permeability of clinprost(LM) is not reduced in ischaemic conditions, because the simple diffusion of clinprost released from LM contributed mainly to clinprost(LM) transport.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Nicotinic acid transport mediated by pH-dependent anion antiporter and proton cotransporter in rabbit intestinal brush-border membrane.

In order to determine whether the vitamin nicotinic acid is absorbed via an anion antiporter, intestinal epithelial cell membrane transport mechanisms for nicotinic acid were characterized using isolated rabbit jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles. The uptake of nicotinic acid by the membrane vesicles showed an overshoot phenomenon in the presence of an outwardly directed bicarbonate gradient or an inwardly directed proton gradient and the uptakes were two times and six times greater, respectively, than that in the absence of any ion gradient. The bicarbonate-dependent initial uptake of nicotinic acid was increased at acidic pH, showing pH-dependent transport activity. An inhibitor of anion transport, 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid, specifically reduced bicarbonate-dependent transport of nicotinic acid. The initial uptakes of nicotinic acid via the anion antiporter and the proton cotransporter were specifically inhibited by monocarboxylic acids such as acetic acid, benzoic acid, D- and L-lactic acid, pravastatin and valproic acid, but not by di- or tricarboxylic acids, bile acids or amino acids. Nicotinic acid uptake activity was, furthermore, expressed in a Xenopus laevis oocyte system after injection of messenger RNA (mRNA) derived from rabbit intestinal epithelial cells. These observations demonstrate that nicotinic acid is absorbed by two independent active transport mechanisms from small intestine, i.e. a proton cotransporter and an anion antiporter. The pH-dependence observed in the intestinal absorption of nicotinic acid might, therefore, be ascribed partly to pH-sensitive and partly to carrier-mediated transport mechanisms in the brush-border membrane.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Active secretion of drugs from the small intestinal epithelium in rats by P-glycoprotein functioning as an absorption barrier.

Because the significance of P-glycoprotein in the in-vivo secretion of beta-blockers in intestinal epithelial cells is unclear, the secretory mechanism for beta-blockers and other drugs has been evaluated. Uptake of the beta-blockers acebutolol, celiprolol, nadolol and timolol, and the antiarrhythmic agent, quinidine by the multidrug-resistant leukaemic cell line variant K562/ADM was significantly lower than that by drug-sensitive K562 cells, suggesting that these beta-blockers are transported by P-glycoprotein out of cells. The reduced uptake of acebutolol by the drug-resistant K562/ADM cells was reversed by treating the cells with anti-P-glycoprotein monoclonal antibody, MRK16, whereas no such alteration in uptake was observed for drug-sensitive K562 cells. Acebutolol uptake by K562/ADM cells was, moreover, markedly enhanced, in a concentration-dependent manner, in the presence of the specific P-glycoprotein inhibitors, MS-209 and cyclosporin. Caco-2 cells were used for evaluation of the role of P-glycoprotein in intestinal permeability to drugs in-vitro. Basolateral-to-apical transport of acebutolol was twice that in the reverse direction. A similar polarized flux was also observed in the transport of vinblastine, but not in that of acetamide or mannitol. When in-vivo intestinal absorption was evaluated by the rat jejunal loop method, with simultaneous intravenous administration of a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, cyclosporin, intestinal absorption of both acebutolol and vinblastine increased 2.6- and 2.2-fold, respectively, but no such enhancement was observed in the absorption of acetamide. The effect of cyclosporin on the intestinal absorption of several drugs was further examined, and the extent of the contribution of P-glycoprotein as an absorption barrier to those drugs was evaluated. ATP depletion by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery resulted in a clear increase in epithelial permeability to vinblastine, but not to 3-O-methylglucose or acetamide, indicating that vinblastine is secreted by ATP-dependent P-glycoprotein into the lumen. These findings demonstrate that P-glycoprotein plays a role as an absorption barrier by transporting several drugs from intestinal cells into the lumen.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

PubMed1996

Intermedilysin, a novel cytotoxin specific for human cells secreted by Streptococcus intermedius UNS46 isolated from a human liver abscess.

A novel cytotoxin (intermedilysin) specific for human cells was identified as a cytolytic factor of Streptococcus intermedius UNS46 isolated from a human liver abscess. Intermedilysin caused human cell death with membrane blebs. Intermedilysin was purified from UNS46 culture medium by means of gel filtration and hydrophobic chromatography. The purified toxin was resolved into major and minor bands of 54 and 53 kDa, respectively, by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These proteins reacted with an antibody against intermedilysin. Five internal peptide fragments of intermedilysin were sequenced and found to have 42 to 71% homology with the thiol-activated cytotoxin pneumolysin. However, the action of intermedilysin differed from that of thiol-activated cytotoxins, especially in terms of a lack of activation by dithiothreitol and resistance to treatments with N-ethylmaleimide and 5,5'-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), although cholesterol inhibited the toxin activity. Intermedilysin was potently hemolytic on human erythrocytes but was 100-fold less effective on chimpanzee and cynomolgus monkey erythrocytes. Intermedilysin was not hemolytic in nine other animal species tested. Since human erythrocytes treated with trypsin were far less sensitive to intermedilysin than were the intact cells, a cell membrane protein(s) may participate in the intermedilysin action. These data demonstrated that intermedilysin is distinguishable from all known bacterial cytolysins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Presynaptic effects of a trinitrobenzene analogue at the frog neuromuscular junction.

1. Application of 0.15 mM 1-(hydroxyethylamino)-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (HEATNB) to the frog neuromuscular junction induced a marked increase (4.0-fold) in the amplitude of nerve-evoked end-plate potentials (EPPs) obtained from intracellular and extracellular records, but only a slight increase (1.9-fold) in the frequency of miniature EPPs (MEPPs) obtained from intracellular records. The effects of HEATNB on EPP amplitude and MEPP frequency showed a similar time course, reaching a plateau level approximately 40 min after the start of application and returning to the control level after wash. The difference in the effects of HEATNB on EPP and MEPP frequency suggests that it specifically enhances synchronous transmitter release. 2. Comparing the effects and structure of HEATNB with those of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene-1-sulfonic acid, we conclude that the observed increase in transmitter release is due to the effects of the trinitrobenzene moiety of those reagents. 3. The distribution of MEPP amplitude was unchanged by HEATNB treatment, indicating that its effects are presynaptic. 4. Among four components of short-term synaptic plasticity, HEATNB greatly decreased (approximately 70%) augmentation and increased (approximately 50%) potentiation, but had little effect on fast and slow facilitations. These results suggest that each of the short-term plasticities has a different mechanism and that HEATNB affects the same mechanisms as those of augmentation. 5. Even when a calcium chelator, bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, was loaded into the presynaptic nerve terminal, the effects of HEATNB were not changed in nature, suggesting that effects of HEATNB persist independently of intracellular Ca2+ concentration. 6. These observations suggest that HEATNB may affect specific protein(s) involved primarily in synchronous transmitter release and not asynchronous release.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Effect of polycarbophil on the absorption of nutrients.

The effects of polycarbophil on the absorption of various nutrients were evaluated by several in situ methods. Polycarbophil reduced the absorption of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose (3-OMG) and L-phenylalanine in the in situ loop and the in situ perfusion methods, but it did not affect the absorption of these nutrients in an open system, the in situ modified loop method, which is closer to physiological conditions. It also did not affect the absorption of vitamin A or phosphatidylcholine-L-alpha-dipalmitoyl in the latter system. These results indicate that the absorption of nutrients is probably not altered by polycarbophil under physiological conditions.

3-O-Methylglucose↗

PubMed1996

Hemolytic uremic syndrome following hemorrhagic colitis caused by verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7: early signs of hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Ten cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) following hemorrhagic colitis caused by verotoxin T2-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (VTEC) occurred in a Kindergarten. Slight changes in results of peripheral blood and blood chemistry studies an average of 4 days after onset suggested HUS, and within the following 12 hours platelet counts and levels of haptoglobin and lactic dehydrogenase decreased. Treatment was mainly directed toward the management of renal failure and included supportive therapy and anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatment. Although neurological complications occurred in some cases, all patients eventually recovered completely.

Bacterial Toxins↗

PubMed1996

Decrease of serum ascorbic acid concentrations in patients with diabetic macroangiopathy.

The relationship between serum ascorbic acid (AA) and diabetic macroangiopathy was studied. Fifty-six patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were examined, together with 20 healthy controls matched for age against the diabetes patients. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was taken as an index of the severity of atherosclerosis. The level of serum AA in diabetic patients was significantly lower than that of the controls. Among the diabetic groups, those with elevated PWV levels by age demonstrated a significant drop in AA. No significant differences were seen in the level of serum dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA) between patients and controls, nor were there any significant differences among patient groups. The concentration of serum AA was inversely related to the risk factors of atherosclerosis, such as body mass index, Apo B/ Apo A-I ratio, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and microalbumin in urine. It was inferred from these findings that the depletion of serum AA was apparent in diabetics with advanced atherosclerosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Effect of herbimycin A on renal cancer cell growth.

We investigated the effect of herbimycin A on the monolayer growth of 4 human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell lines and a normal renal tubular cell line (RTC 13) using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiszol-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide)] assay. Herbimycin A induced remarkable growth inhibition in each RCC cell line tested, without any morphological changes of the cells. At the concentration of 500 ng/ml, herbimycin A caused more than a 30% growth inhibition in all RCC cells (p < 0.005 vs RTC 13), while less than 7% growth inhibition was observed in RTC 13 at the same herbimycin A concentration. The cell cycle was estimated by analysing DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) content using a FACS. A DNA histogram of RCC cells treated at herbimycin A showed a block in the cell cycle at the S and G2M phases. However, little effect by herbimycin A on RTC 13 cells was observed. Our results suggest that protein tyrosine kinases inhibitors, like herbimycin A, may offer a new treatment option for RCC patients.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗

PubMed1996

[Successful gamma-globulin pulse therapy of a young child with acquired pure red cell aplasia].

We report a case of a 2 years and 2 months old male, who showed a normochromic normocytic anemia, Hb 3.7g/dl. The bone marrow aspiration revealed a remarkable decrease of erythroblasts alone. Because of none of other underlying diseases identified, it leads to a diagnosis of acquired idiopathic pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). Pulse therapy of methylprednisolone, followed by one month administration of prednisone did not lead to a remission. However, high dose of gamma-globulin pulse therapy restored erythropoiesis in several days, with a rate of hemoglobin increment of 0.5 g/dl/day. 2.5 years after the onset of PRCA, the patient has neither suffered from complications of hematological diseases, nor undesired consequences of the therapy. Although recent advance of therapy regarding PRCA has focussed on cyclosporine A, high dose of gamma-globulin pulse therapy with a remarkable effect is worth as an alternative.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1996

[DNA analysis of a case of so-called blood group chimerism].

A 46-year-old woman who has three children, whose red blood cells exhibit a dual population of groups A and B, was investigated. Her lymphocytes had an XX/XY karyotype and Y chromosome markers were detected from buccal cells and hair root cells in DNA analysis. Three bands were detected in D1S80 VNTR locus (MCT118), two bands from father and one from mother. Her ABO genotype should be genetically AO, however, the PCR-RFLP method revealed a pattern of BO genotype. From these findings, it is concluded that she is a so-called dispermic chimera which is the result of the fertilization by two sperms and that DNA analysis is useful for distinguishing between twin and dispermic chimerism.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

PubMed1996

[Evaluation of simultaneous acquisition of transmission and emission data on thallium-201 myocardial SPECT].

This study evaluates the usefulness of attenuation correction on regional myocardial tracer distributions defined by Thallium-201 myocardial SPECT images obtained from cardiac phantoms and patients with or without coronary heart disease. A three-detector SPECT system equipped with a Technetium-99m line source and a fan-beam collimator was used for simultaneous transmission and emission data acquisition. All three detectors were equipped with fan-beam collimators. Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy was performed on phantom study and 19 patients. Transmission images, uncorrected and corrected emission images were iteratively reconstructed with a EM-ML algorithm. Attenuation map computed from the transmission data was utilized for the attenuation correction. For the phantom study, circumferential profile analysis was applied to both datasets of horizontal long-axis slices through the center of the phantom. The maximum profile value in the circumferential profile set to 100% in the normalized uncorrected and corrected profiles. The uncorrected circumferential profiles from cardiac insert model 7070 and RH-2 cardiophantom showed decrease in activity in basal regions which appeared improvement in the attenuation corrected profiles. In clinical study, the inferior-to-anterior activity ratio, changed from 0.78 +/- 0.10 to 0.97 +/- 0.11 on stress images in patients with inferior ischemia and from 0.96 +/- 0.12 to 1.15 +/- 0.13 on 4 hour delayed or rest images in normal cases. The anteroapical wall of the attenuation corrected images, however, showed a decrease in activity relative to the inferior wall in normal cases. The increase in activity in inferior wall on attenuation corrected images was observed frequently in clinical study but not in phantom study. A presence of scatter from the liver or bowels may cause the increase in activity in the inferior wall in clinical study. In conclusion, transmission scan is one of the useful methods for the attenuation correction. Scatter correction, however, is also necessary to make an accurate attenuation corrected images.

Heart↗

PubMed1996

[Forensic application of biochemical blood analysis--studies on CPK and LDH isozymes].

We analyzed CPK and LDH isozymes of the plasma of cadavers, which give indication of muscle damage in normal blood. The isozyme patterns in cadaveric plasma were different from those in normal plasma. The patterns were classified into five groups in CPK and four groups in LDH, respectively. We could not detect obvious correlation between the cause of death and each classified groups in CPK. In comparison with CPK, we detect the clear relation between the cause of death and isozyme patterns in LDH. All cases of LDH 1 and 5 predominant or LDH 1, 2 and 5 predominant groups had myocardial infarction or other myocardial damage. So LDH isozyme pattern was informative for antemortem cardiac conditions of the cadaver and considered to be useful for conjecturing myocardial damage of the cadaver at least within 24 hours after death.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗