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Biomedical subjects

Atsushi Ishida

Publications and source records attributed to Atsushi Ishida.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Involvement of Hsp90 in signaling and stability of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1.

Serine/threonine kinase Akt is thought to mediate many biological actions toward anti-apoptotic responses. Screening of drugs that could interfere with the Akt signaling pathway revealed that Hsp90 inhibitors (e.g. geldanamycin, radicicol, and its analogues) induced Akt dephosphorylation, which resulted in Akt inactivation and apoptosis of the cells. Hsp90 inhibitors did not directly affect Akt kinase activity in vitro. Thus, we examined the effects of Hsp90 inhibitors on upstream Akt kinases, phosphatidylinositide-3-OH kinase (PI3K) and 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1). Hsp90 inhibitors had no effect on PI3K protein expression. In contrast, treatment of the cells with Hsp90 inhibitors decreased the amount of PDK1 without directly inhibiting PDK1 kinase activity. We found that the kinase domain of PDK1 was essential for complex formation with Hsp90 and that Hsp90 inhibitors suppressed PDK1 binding to Hsp90. PDK1 degradation mechanisms revealed that inhibition of PDK1 binding to Hsp90 caused proteasome-dependent degradation of PDK1. Treatment of proteasome inhibitors increased the amount of detergent-insoluble PDK1 in Hsp90 inhibitor-treated cells. Therefore, the association of PDK1 with Hsp90 regulates its stability, solubility, and signaling. Because Akt binding to Hsp90 is also involved in the maintenance of Akt kinase activity, Hsp90 plays an important role in PDK1-Akt survival signaling pathway.

3-Phosphoinositide-Dependent Protein Kinases↗

Spontaneous disappearance of a false aneurysm after iatrogenic ruptured ventricle.

We report the case of a 64-year-old woman who had an atypical subendocardial aneurysm, a space between the internal patch, which was used for the repair of a left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement, and myocardium, which filled with blood during the diastole phase. During the follow-up period, the aneurysm spontaneously disappeared. This case endorses combining internal and external approaches to repair a left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement.

Aneurysm, False↗

Interactive effects of leaf age and self-shading on leaf structure, photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll fluorescence in the rain forest tree, Dryobalanops aromatica.

In the tropical canopy tree, Dryobalanops aromatica Gaertn. f., upper-canopy leaves (UL) develop under sunlit conditions but are subjected to self-shading within the crown as they age. In contrast, lower-canopy leaves (LL) are exposed to uniform dim light conditions throughout their life span. By comparing leaf morphology and physiology of UL and LL, variations in leaf characteristics were related to leaf age and self-shading. Mass-based chlorophyll (chl) concentration and the chlorophyll/nitrogen (chl/N) ratio were lower and the chl a/b ratio was higher in UL than in LL. In UL, the chl/N ratio gradually increased and the chl a/b ratio gradually decreased with leaf aging, whereas these ratios remained unchanged with leaf age in LL. The effective quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) (DeltaF/F(m)') at a given irradiance remained unchanged with leaf age in LL, whereas DeltaF/F(m)' changed with leaf age in UL. These data indicate N reallocation within the leaves from carbon fixation components to light harvesting components and a dynamic regulation of photochemical processes of PSII in response to increased self-shading of UL. Despite the difference in light environment with leaf age between UL and LL, maximum photosynthetic rates and nitrogen-use efficiency decreased with leaf aging in both UL and LL. Constancy in the chl/N ratio with leaf age in LL indicated that the decrease in photosynthetic capacity was caused by effects other than shading, such as leaf aging. We conclude that N reallocation and acclimation of PSII to self-shading occurred even in mature leaves, whereas the change in photosynthetic capacity with leaf age was more conservative.

Journal Article↗

Leaf gas exchange and cholorphyll fluorescence in relation to leaf angle, azimuth, and canopy position in the tropical pioneer tree, Macaranga conifera.

We tested the hypothesis that, in tropical pioneer tree species, vertical leaf angle contributes to high carbon gain because it minimizes damage caused by high irradiances. Diurnal changes in leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured in east-facing (EL), west-facing (WL) leaves, and in leaves artificially held horizontal (HL) in the uppermost canopy of Macaranga conifera (Zoll.) Muell. Arg. Maximum values of net photosynthetic rate (P(n)) for EL and HL reached 12 &mgr;mol m(-2) s(-1), whereas maximum P(n) for WL was only 6 &mgr;mol m(-2) s(-1). Midday depressions of P(n) and stomatal conductance occurred at high photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD), especially for HL. Photosystem II quantum yield (DeltaF/F(m)') of HL for a given PPFD at the leaf surface was lower in the afternoon than in the morning. Values of DeltaF/F(m)' for HL measured at dusk were lower than those measured just before dawn, suggesting that HL suffered from high light and heat load. Variations in the morphology and physiology of the canopy leaves were associated with different light environments, and there was circumstantial evidence of a transitional point at a PPFD of about 20-30% of full sunlight. Maximum P(n) and nitrogen (N) content were higher in upper canopy leaves than in lower canopy leaves, and the differences were mainly associated with differences in lamina thickness. We conclude that the vertical leaf angle and thick lamina of the top canopy leaves contributed to enhance total carbon gain of the whole plant.

Journal Article↗

Limitation of leaf carbon gain by stomatal and photochemical processes in the top canopy of Macaranga conifera, a tropical pioneer tree.

Diurnal changes in gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured in the top canopy leaves of the tropical rainforest tree species, Macaranga conifera (Zoll.) Muell. Arg. during a drought year. Maximum values of net photosynthetic rate (P(n), 10 &mgr;mol m(-2) s(-1)) and stomatal conductance (g(s), 0.2 mol m(-2) s(-1)) were found in east-facing leaves in early morning. After 1000 h, both P(n) and g(s) decreased. Minimum daytime values of P(n), g(s), and photosystem II (PSII) quantum yield (DeltaF/F(m)') were found in horizontally fixed leaves. At a given electron transport rate through PSII (ETR), P(n) was higher in early morning than at midday, suggesting a high rate of photorespiration at midday. We tested the hypothesis that the effect of low leaf temperature (T(leaf)) on P(n) is significant in the early morning, whereas the effect of low g(s) on P(n) predominates at midday. In the early morning, when T(leaf) was increased from 32 to 38 degrees C by artificial heating, P(n) at a given ETR decreased 29%, suggesting that the low T(leaf) was associated with a high P(n). When T(leaf) at midday was decreased from 37 to 32 degrees C by artificial cooling, P(n) increased 22%, but P(n) at a given ETR was higher in early morning than at midday, even at the same low T(leaf) (32 degrees C). This suggests that the rate of photorespiration was higher at midday than in early morning because low g(s) at midday caused a reduction in leaf intercellular CO(2) concentration. We conclude that low P(n) at midday was the result of both a reduction in the photochemical process and an increase in stomatal limitation.

Journal Article↗

Effects of current-year and previous-year PPFDs on shoot gross morphology and leaf properties in Fagus japonica.

We investigated how shoot gross morphology and leaf properties are determined in Fagus japonica Maxim., a deciduous species with flush-type shoot phenology, in which all leaves are produced in a single flush at the start of each season. We examined relationships between current-year shoot properties and local light environment in a 14-m tall beech tree growing in a deciduous forest. Leaf number (LN), total leaf area (TLA), and total leaf length (SL) of the current-year shoot increased with increasing photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Leaf thickness, dry mass per leaf area and nitrogen content on a leaf area basis increased, whereas the chlorophyll/N ratio decreased with increasing PPFD. To separate the effects of current-year PPFD from those of previous year(s), we artificially shaded a part of the uppermost leaf tier. Reciprocal transfers of beech seedlings between controlled PPFD regimes were also made. Characteristics of shoot gross morphology such as LN, TLA and SL were largely determined by the PPFD of the previous year. The exception was the length of the longest "long shoots" with many leaves, in which elongation appeared to be influenced by both previous-year and current-year PPFD. In contrast, leaf properties were determined by current-year PPFD. The ecological implications of our findings are discussed.

Journal Article↗

Is it safe to initiate selective cerebral perfusion with normothermia?

OBJECTIVE: Preceding selective cerebral perfusion (P-SCP) is a method whereby SCP and systemic perfusion start simultaneously, and the arch vessels are clamped. Cerebral circulation is isolated from systemic circulation to avoid cerebral embolization due to detachment of atherosclerotic material from the aorta, caused by the "sandblasting" effect of high-velocity jets of blood exiting the aortic cannula. However, neither the safety of SCP at normothermia nor the influence of extended SCP time has been sufficiently clarified. To clarify the safety of P-SCP, the comparison study of P-SCP and conventional SCP (C-SCP) was performed retrospectively. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients (C-SCP group: 29 patients; P-SCP: 28 patients) underwent surgery between 1992 and 2002. RESULTS: Nine (15.8%) in-hospital death occurred; 4 in the C-SCP group (13.8%) and 5 in the P-SCP group (17.9%) (NS). The SCP time was 136.6 +/- 68.5 minutes in the C-SCP group and 195.8 +/- 30.7 minutes in the P-SCP group (p < 0.05). One patient in each group exhibited postoperative neurological dysfunction. CONCLUSION: It may be little dangerous to initiate the SCP with normothermia. P-SCP may be useful in cases in which there is pedunculated atherosclerotic material, or mural thrombus in the ascending and arch aorta.

Adult↗

Steal phenomenon with kinked graft caused a loss of viability in a dialysis patient.

A 74-year-old man with chronic renal failure under hemodialysis via the left upper extremity underwent an off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). The left internal thoracic artery (LITA), which was harvested in a skeletonized manner, was anastomosed to the left anterior descending artery (LAD). Postoperatively, he complained of chest pain only during dialysis. Angiography revealed a kinking in the LITA. However, myocardial scintigraphy revealed no ischemia. One year after OPCAB, left ventriculography revealed akinesis and myocardial scintigraphy revealed no viability in the anterior wall. This suggested that the viability was lost due to graft kinking and steal phenomenon during hemodialysis. If the length of the skeletonized ITA graft is redundant, kinking of the graft rarely occurs after the chest is closed. We also suggest that to avoid the kinking of the ITA graft, fibrin glue should be used to paste the ITA graft running in a gentle curve.

Aged↗