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Biomedical subjects

F Yamamoto

Publications and source records attributed to F Yamamoto.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Calcium antagonists and myocardial protection: a comparative study of the functional, metabolic and electrical consequences of verapamil and nifedipine as additives to the St. Thomas' cardioplegic solution.

Using an isolated rat heart preparation as a model of cardiopulmonary bypass and ischemic arrest, a comparative study has been undertaken in order to characterize the functional, metabolic and electrophysiological consequences resulting from the addition of dl-verapamil or nifedipine to the St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution. Hearts (n = 6 in each group) were subjected to cardioplegic infusion with the St. Thomas' solution with or without added verapamil (1.1 micromoles/liter) or nifedipine (0.075 micromoles/liter). After 35 minutes of normothermic (37 degrees C) ischemic arrest, reperfusion was initiated and functional recovery was measured and expressed as a percent of its pre-ischemic control value. Inclusion of nifedipine in the cardioplegic solution improved the post-ischemic recovery of cardiac output from its control value of 59.8 +/- 3.0% to 80.0 +/- 2.5%. The temporal characteristics for the post-ischemic recovery of electrical activity and contractile performance were uncomplicated and similar to control hearts. Inclusion of verapamil also improved the protective properties of the St. Thomas' solution with cardiac output recovering to 76.8% +/- 2.8%. However, in contrast to the control and nifedipine groups, the profile for functional recovery was complex. After an early initial recovery, pressure development declined for 0.5 to 6.0 minutes. This occurred despite the recovery of electrical activity. Hearts then exhibited a second phase of recovery where pressure development returned to normal and this was sustained for the duration of the experiment. Analysis of electrocardiographic characteristics revealed a significant prolongation of the P-P and P-Q interval during the first 10 minutes of reperfusion in the verapamil group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

A method to detect and characterize point mutations in transcribed genes: amplification and overexpression of the mutant c-Ki-ras allele in human tumor cells.

A significant percentage of human tumors contain activated ras oncogenes that have acquired oncogenic potential as a result of somatic point mutations at codon 12 or 61 of the encoded ras gene product. We report here a method to detect and characterize mutations in ras genes that is based on the ability of pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase A; EC 3.1.27.5) to cleave RNA heteroduplexes containing single-base mismatches. Using this method, we show that certain human tumor cells contain mutant c-Ki-ras genes, and we define the nature and position of these mutations. At the same time, we describe the presence and estimate the expression of both normal and mutant c-Ki-ras alleles in the same tumor cells. This method should be useful for the diagnostic detection and characterization of single point mutations in expressed genes.

Alleles↗

Comparative studies on (2'-5')oligoadenylate-related enzyme systems and the antiviral effect of interferon in two mouse cell lines which differ in (2'-5')oligoadenylate sensitivity of their protein synthesizing system.

Effect of (2'-5')oligoadenylate (2-5A) on cellular and viral protein and RNA syntheses was investigated with two mouse cell lines, L929 and Lz (a subclone of L929). The oligonucleotide was introduced into the cells either by using calcium phosphate coprecipitation technique or by microinjection method. In L929 cells protein and viral RNA syntheses were severely inhibited by 2-5A, whereas in Lz cells, both were only slightly inhibited. The activities of 2-5A synthetase and double-stranded (ds)RNA-dependent protein kinase were enhanced by interferon (IFN) treatment roughly to the same extent and there was no significant difference in the level of 2'-5' phosphodiesterase activity either. On the other hand, 2-5A-dependent RNase (RNase L) activity in Lz cells was low, being about 10-20% of that of L929 cells. It was increased twofold after IFN treatment, but protein synthesis of Lz cells was not as sensitive to 2-5A as that of L929 cells even after IFN treatment. L929 and Lz cells were sensitive to the antiviral effect of mouse IFN against vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and Mengovirus. In contrast, however, Lz cells were relatively insensitive to the antiviral effect of IFN on vaccinia virus, whereas L929 cells were sensitive.

2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase↗

Calcium antagonists and myocardial protection during cardioplegic arrest.

The ability of nifedipine, verapamil, and diltiazem to enhance cardioplegic protection has been assessed using an isolated rat heart preparation as a model of cardiopulmonary bypass and ischemic arrest. With normothermic ischemia (30 or 35 min at 37 degrees C), the addition of these compounds enhanced the protective properties of the St. Thomas' cardioplegic solution. All these compounds showed bell-shaped dose-response characteristics, with the optimal concentrations in terms of functional recovery and enzyme leakage of verapamil being 1.0 mumole/liter; nifedipine, 0.075 mumole/liter; and diltiazem, 0.5 mumole/liter. However, under conditions of hypothermia (150 or 180 min at 20 degrees C), none of these compounds improved postischemic functional recovery, although there was some reduction in enzyme leakage. From these results, further experiments were undertaken to investigate the relationship between calcium antagonists and temperature. Verapamil improved functional recovery at 34, 31 and 29 degrees C, but not at 27, 25, and 20 degrees C. These results suggest a common site of action between hypothermia and calcium antagonists in promoting functional recovery after ischemia.

Animals↗

[Significance of multimodality evoked potentials (MEPs) in severe head injuries].

Clinical significance of multimodality evoked potentials (MEPs) consisting of auditory evoked brainstem response (ABR), cortical somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and visual evoked potential (VEP) was studied in 14 cases with severe head injuries. The cases in this series associated with cerebral contusion and/or intracranial mass lesions such as acute subdural, intracerebral and acute epidural hematomas and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was less than 8 in all instances. MEPs were recorded for 14 days after injury and evaluated by MEP grade modified from Greenberg, et al. Intracranial pressure (ICP) was monitored from the extradural space on main lesion side in all cases for 3 to 5 days. Transtentorial herniation on CT scan was also graded according to the status of subarachnoid cisterns around the tentorium. The outcome was assessed by Glasgow Outcome Scale at 3 months after injury and was classified into good, poor and dead. MEPs on admission showed mild to severe abnormalities determined by single or all modalities in all cases and they were fairly well correlated with GCS score on admission and initial ICP. In the cases with good outcome, initial MEPs showed mild to moderate abnormalities determined by single modality and improved within 3 days after injury. They returned to normal or remained at mild abnormality at 7 days. But abnormality on initial MEPs was more severe in the cases with poor outcome and they were deteriorated within 3 to 7 days when elevation of ICP above 25 mmHg was observed. MEPs remained at moderate abnormality even at 14 days after injury in these cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Activation of a human c-K-ras oncogene.

The human lung carcinomas PR310 and PR371 contain activated c-K-ras oncogenes. The oncogene of PR371 was found to present a mutation at codon 12 of the first coding exon which substitutes cysteine for glycine in the encoded p21 protein. We report here that the transforming gene of PR310 tumor contains a mutation in the second coding exon. An A----T transversion at codon 61 results in the incorporation of histidine instead of glutamine in the c-K-ras gene product. By constructing c-K-ras/c-H-ras chimeric genes we show that this point mutation is sufficient to confer transforming potential to ras genes, and that a hybrid ras gene coding for a protein mutant at both codons 12 and 61 is also capable of transforming NIH3T3 cells. The relative transforming potency of p21 proteins encoded by ras genes mutant at codons 12, 61 or both has been analyzed. Our studies also show that the coding exons of ras genes, including the fourth, can be interchanged and the chimeric p21 ras proteins retain their oncogenic ability in normal rodent established cell lines.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Neuronal pathway from floccular caudal zone contributing to vertical eye movements in cats--role of group y nucleus of vestibular nuclei.

In ketamine-anesthetized cats, electric microstimulation of the group y nucleus of the vestibular nuclei evoked a slow and smooth upward eye movement. Destruction of the group y nucleus eliminated a slow and smooth downward eye movement evoked by stimulation of the caudal zone of the flocculus. These data support the interpretation that Purkinje cell activity in the caudal zone of the flocculus can evoke vertical eye movements by inhibiting the activity of neurons of the group y nucleus.

Animals↗

Isolation of transforming sequences of two human lung carcinomas: structural and functional analysis of the activated c-K-ras oncogenes.

Human lung tumors PR310 and PR371 maintained in nude mice contain activated c-K-ras oncogenes detectable by the ability of their DNAs to induce the morphological transformation of NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblasts. Using phage libraries constructed with DNA from NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast transformants, we have isolated human sequences that span greater than 40 kilobase pairs of the c-K-ras oncogene. Based on the conservation of these human sequences in mouse fibroblast transformants, we conclude that the transforming ability of the oncogene activated in these tumors resides within a 43- to 46-kilobase-pair DNA region. No clear differences were observed between the structures of the PR310 and PR371 cloned oncogene sequences. Nucleotide sequence analysis in concert with DNA transfection experiments suggests that the PR371 oncogene has been activated by a single base change in the first exon, which results in the substitution of cysteine for glycine in position 12 of the predicted amino acid sequence. The genetic alteration responsible for the transforming activity of the PR310 oncogene, however, does not reside in the first exon. These results indicate that the activation of the c-K-ras oncogene in human lung cancer can occur by different mutational events.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Enhancement of Newcastle disease virus-induced fusion of mouse L cells by sodium vanadate.

Sodium vanadate enhanced Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-induced cell fusion in L cells, and there was a direct correlation between the degree of cell fusion and the dose of vanadate added. When anti-F protein of NDV monospecific antiserum was added to the culture fluid of L cells infected with NDV, the enhancement of cell fusion was suppressed. In contrast, neither anti-HN nor anti-M protein monospecific antiserum inhibited the enhancement. Incubation at low temperature (4 C) and addition of sodium azide to the culture fluid suppressed the enhancement. The suppression by azide was seen only when the drug was added within 5 min after the beginning of incubation of NDV-infected L cells with vanadate. On the other hand, incubation at low temperature inhibited the enhancement at any time during incubation with vanadate. Cytochalasin D also inhibited the enhancement if it was added at any time during incubation with vanadate.

Animals↗