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Biomedical subjects

H Abe

Publications and source records attributed to H Abe.

At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources

Cerebral hemodynamics and "re-build-up" phenomenon on electroencephalogram in children with moyamoya disease.

"Re-build-up" phenomenon, induced by hyperventilation, is a characteristic finding on electroencephalogram (EEG) in children with moyamoya disease, and suggests close correlation with cerebral ischemic attack. Its mechanism, however, remains obscure. In this study, we examined the relationship between the cerebral hemodynamics and this phenomenon before and after vascular reconstructive surgery. Regional cerebral blood flow and its reactivity to acetazolamide were analyzed using the xenon-133 inhalation method and single photon emission computed tomography in six children with moyamoya disease. These results were compared with the EEG. Regional vasoreactivity to acetazolamide was significantly lower in "re-build-up" -positive regions than in "re-build-up" -negative regions. Postoperative studies revealed a significant improvement of reactivity in the regions where the "re-build-up" phenomenon disappeared after surgery. These results suggest that the "re-build-up" phenomenon represents a focal reduction of the cerebral perfusion reserve in moyamoya disease.

Acetazolamide↗

Successful chemoradiation therapy for high-grade skull base chondrosarcoma in a child.

High-grade chondrosarcoma in the skull base has been known to be extremely refractory to adjuvant therapy. We report successful chemoradiation therapy for skull base chondrosarcoma in a child. The patient was a 6-year-old boy with an invasive skull base tumor. In spite of gross total removal of the tumor, it recurred 1 month after surgery. Following an intra-arterial injection of adriamycin (10 mg), the second gross total removal was carried out. At the end of the operation, cisplatin (20 mg) was locally injected into the surgical cavity. The patient was further given a total of six courses of systemic chemotherapy in combination with adriamycin (30 mg/m2) and cisplatin (100 mg/m2) and 55 Gy focal irradiation. One year after the most recent surgery, the patient is in complete remission. The efficacy of adjuvant therapy of this rare tumor is discussed.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Regional cerebral hemodynamics in childhood moyamoya disease.

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and its reactivity to acetazolamide were analyzed in a series of 15 cases of childhood moyamoya disease, using the xenon-133 inhalation method and single photon emission CT (SPECT). Most of the patients had normal mean hemispheric cerebral blood flow (mCBF), comparable to that of age-matched healthy children. However, they had abnormal rCBF distribution and disturbed reactivity to acetazolamide in the territory of the internal carotid artery, especially in the frontal lobe. Surgical revascularization for the anterior circulation, which consisted of STA-MCA anastomosis and indirect synangiosis, dramatically improved these cerebral hemodynamics in the anterior circulation, including the frontal lobe, and reactivity to acetazolamide in the whole brain. These results suggest that surgical revascularization for the anterior circulation should be carried out in order to improve cerebral hemodynamics as widely as possible, especially in the frontal lobe, and may improve cerebral perfusion reserve in the posterior circulation.

Acetazolamide↗

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) for the evaluation of treatment of brain tumours.

We investigated metabolic changes in brain tumours following treatment, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In meningiomas, effective therapeutic embolisation led to an acute increase in lactate. In radiosensitive tumours such as malignant lymphoma, a decrease in lactate and in increase in N-acetyl-aspartate occurred after radiotherapy, which preceded changes observed on magnetic resonance imaging. On the other hand, no significant changes in spectral patterns were observed in malignant gliomas resistant to therapy. Tissue characterisation of brain tumours by spectral patterns on proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy remains controversial. However, we have shown it to be sensitive to metabolic changes following treatment, which may reflect the efficacy of the therapy.

Astrocytoma↗

Transcriptional activation domains of the Ah receptor and Ah receptor nuclear translocator.

The Ah receptor (AhR) and Ah receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) heterodimer bind the xenobiotic-responsive element (XRE) sequence in the upstream region of the genes for some drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as P4501A1 and glutathione S-transferase Ya, to activate their transcription. This paper describes transcriptional activation domains of the AhR and Arnt as examined in vivo by DNA transfection experiments using GAL4-AhR or GAL4-Arnt chimeric plasmids and a reporter plasmid containing five GAL4 DNA binding sites. The major activation domain of Arnt was localized in a short segment of the C-terminal 34 amino acids, while the glutamine-rich domain of Arnt showed no transcriptional activity. This activation domain of Arnt could be further divided into two subdomains with some sequence similarity. Point mutation analysis of one of the subdomains revealed that bulky hydrophobic amino acids and neighboring acidic amino acids were necessary for the transcription-enhancing activity of Arnt. The C-terminal half of the AhR showed a strong transcription-stimulating activity, apparently five times as strong as that of Arnt. Further analysis of the activity revealed that the C-terminal transcriptional activity was distributed in several activation domains, one of which is rich in glutamine residues. These results indicate that the glutamine-rich domains of the AhR and Arnt function differently in the heterodimer regulatory complex. Previously, we showed that the enhancer activity of XRE was repressed by E1A proteins, especially the 12S form of E1A. Cotransfection experiments using an E1A12S expression plasmid and a GAL4-AhR or GAL4-Arnt expression plasmid demonstrated that E1A protein rather predominantly inhibited the transcriptional activity of Arnt.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗

Frequent TIA in the territory fed by the anastomosed STA after combined therapeutic ICA occlusion and extracranial-intracranial bypass: case report.

Frequent transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) in the territory fed by the anastomosed superficial temporal artery (STA) after combined therapeutic internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion and extracranial-intracranial bypass is described in a 52-year-old woman with a giant aneurysm in the supraclinoid portion of the left ICA showing impairment of visual acuity in the left eye and right upper quadrantanopia. After the balloon test occlusion of the left ICA which was tolerated, the left STA-middle cerebral artery anastomosis was performed and occlusion of the left ICA using detachable balloons was carried out a day later. TIAs corresponding to the territory fed by the anastomosed STA occurred nine times two to four days and five times eight to nine days after the ICA occlusion without new infarction on computed tomography (CT) scan. Single-photon emission computed tomography showed no hypoperfusion immediately after the initial TIA. CT scan revealed thrombosis of half of the aneurysm a day after the ICA occlusion. The patient developed the same TIA as previously by compression of the left anastomosed STA at the time of follow-up angiography which was carried out eight days after the occlusion. Although heparin was continuously administered after the ICA occlusion for two days, the initial TIA occurred during heparinization. Anticoagulation seemed to be inadequate judging from activated coagulation time and incomplete thrombosis of the aneurysm occurred during heparinization. It is likely that the TIAs are caused by embolism via the STA, which is a rare ischaemic complication.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

Ultrastructural study on hyperplastic epithelium of rat common bile duct after choledochoenterostomy.

Hyperplasia of the choledochal epithelium occurs in rats after choledochoenterostomy. It is tubular or papillary and not like small intestinal mucosa in rats with choledochojejunostomy. It is, however, like large intestinal mucosa in rats with choledochocolonostomy. We investigated the ultrastructure of the hyperplastic epithelium in the two experimental groups of rats in this study. The main constituent cells of the hyperplasia of both the groups were like the principal cells of the control, but differed in that they had long microvilli and contained an aggregation of mucus droplets and an increased number of lysosomes. These findings were not seen in the control. The microvilli were sparse in the choledochojejunostomy group, but were dense in the choledochocolonostomy group. These findings suggest that the main function of the epithelium may be cytoprotection in the choledochojejunostomy group and both resorption and cytoprotection in the choledochocolonostomy group.

Animals↗

Effect of fasting and growth hormone (GH) administration on GH receptor (GHR) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and GH-binding protein (GHBP) mRNA levels in male rats.

To elucidate whether GHR and GHBP are coordinately regulated or not, we studied the effect of fasting with or without GH administration on the GHR and GHBP mRNAs in the liver as well as in extrahepatic tissues in rats. Tissues were collected from 7-week-old male rats by decapitation 1,3, and 7 days after the start of fasting. Liver GHR mRNA levels were not affected 1 day after the start of fasting but progressively decreased for the subsequent 3 and 7 days of fasting as compared with those in control rats fed ad libitum. In contrast, liver GHBP mRNA levels significantly rose after 1 day fasting, returned to the control level after 3 days and further reduced after 7 days of fasting. Changes in GHBP mRNA level after fasting were different among the tissues. A transient increase in GHBP mRNA levels was observed in muscle and heart as well as liver, while the GHBP mRNA levels in fat tissues did not change throughout 7 days of fasting. Next, bovine GH(bGH) was administered ip to the fasted rats and control fed rats for either 1 day(100 micrograms [corrected], tid) or 5 days(150 micrograms [corrected], daily). In fed rats, liver GHR mRNA level was significantly increased by 1 day bGH treatment, but after 5 days treatment with bGH it was not different from the level in saline-injected control. Accordingly, net increment of plasma IGF-I was 296.0 ng/ml with 1 day bGH treatment and 234.2 ng/ml with bGH administration for 5 days. In fasted rats, liver GHR mRNA level did not changed after 1 day treatment with bGH, but markedly decreased 5 days after bGH administration. Net increment of plasma IGF-I was slightly reduced to 284 ng/ml with 1 day treatment with bGH, and markedly decreased to 37.0 with bGH administration for 5 days. The effect of GH administration on liver GHBP mRNA level was virtually absent in either fasting or fed state. These findings suggest that GHR and GHBP mRNAs in the liver are expressed in different ways and that expression of GHBP mRNA is differently regulated among tissues.

Animals↗

A3-A3 side-to-side anastomosis in the anterior communicating artery aneurysm surgery: report of four cases.

BACKGROUND: Giant or large aneurysms prevent direct clipping without compromise of the parent vessels, and any countermeasures should be attempted. METHODS: We describe an A3-A3 side-to-side anastomosis as a method of revascularization of the pericallosal artery in surgery of an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) in four patients. RESULTS: In two patients with the pericallosal artery narrowed or occluded by the clipping or trapping procedure, and in two other patients with giant aneurysms clipped with prolonged duration of temporary occlusion of the parent vessels, no serious neurologic changes were observed after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that an A3-A3 side-to-side anastomosis is effective in preventing ischemic complications in the territory of the pericallosal artery.

Aged↗

Trigeminal neuralgia caused by a cerebellopontine-angle lipoma: case report.

This report describes the surgical management of a rare trigeminal neuralgia caused by a cerebellopontine (CP)-angle lipoma. A 13-year-old girl presented with typical trigeminal neuralgia in the right mandibular area. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed a lipoma in the right CP angle. A suboccipital craniectomy revealed a lipoma around the 7th and 8th cranial nerves, but there was no apparent lipoma on the surface of the trigeminal nerve. Since the trigeminal nerve swelled only by infiltration of the lipoma, a partial rhizotomy of the involved sensory root was inevitable. The surgery relieved her neuralgia. She remained analgesic in the mandibular area.

Adolescent↗

Postsurgical observations of mean hemispheric cerebral blood flow with patients receiving high-flow EC-IC bypass using a radial artery graft (preliminary report, one-year observation of 10 hemispheres).

BACKGROUND: When we encounter an inaccessible internal carotid artery lesion, we sacrifice the inaccessible internal carotid artery and, at the same time, establish a high-flow extracranial-to-intracranial arterial bypass (EC-IC bypass). Questions and concerns remain, however, about the dynamics of the patient's cerebral blood flow postoperatively. METHOD: Ten hemispheres from 9 patients had received radial artery grafting as an EC-IC bypass with the simultaneous obstruction of the internal carotid artery. Their mean hemispheric cerebral blood flow (mCBF) was measured longitudinally during 1 year after surgery by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and a 133Xenon-inhalation method. RESULTS: The serial mCBF values of the five hemispheres with giant aneurysm or paracavernous meningioma were attenuated during the postoperative 3-month period and then returned to the normal range. In only one case did the postoperative reduction of mCBF fail to return to normal; in addition there was a memory disturbance that had developed and progressed. Five hemispheres with the ICA stenosis did not present reduction in mCBF. In three out of five hemispheres, transient elevation of mCBF at 1 month after surgery was observed.

Aged↗

Immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization approaches to the optimization of brain slice preparations.

Methods are described for determining the expression of specific mRNAs and proteins in brain slices, in order to elucidate changes in gene expression during preparation of vibratome slices from hippocampus of adult rats. In situ hybridization with 35S-labeled oligonucleotides was used to evaluate the level and distribution of c-fos and hsp72 mRNAs in 15-microns frozen sections prepared from these slices. Commercially available antibodies were used to examine the distribution of induced Fos and Jun proto-oncogenes as well as expression of the neuronal cytoskeletal protein, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), in 50-microns vibratome sections from immersion-fixed slices. These studies confirm the induction of c-fos and hsp72 mRNAs during routine incubation, as previously observed in hippocampal slices obtained with a tissue chopper and incubated under somewhat different conditions, indicating that such responses are likely to be common features of many slice preparations. Accumulation of Fos and Jun immunoreactivities in neurons and glia was generally consistent with the distribution of c-fos mRNA induction observed in slices, and the neuronal component of this response was comparable to the expression of these proteins observed after transient ischemia in vivo. MAP2 immunoreactivity detected in the dendritic processes of neurons tended to show an increase in staining intensity during slice incubation, although loss of dendritic staining in specific regions was occasionally observed in association with the absence of Fos and Jun expression and histological evidence of neuron damage. These results support the use of MAP2 immunoreactivity as a sensitive indicator of neuronal integrity in slices.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Protein phosphatase mRNA expression in Purkinje cells of staggerer and reeler mutant mice.

We used in situ hybridization to search for the expression of three protein phosphatase (PP) mRNAs in Purkinje cells of normal mice, and staggerer (sg/sg) and reeler (rl/rl) mutant mice, two strains with known Purkinje cell disorders. The expression of the mRNAs was comparable in the normal and rl/rl Purkinje cells, but considerably reduced in the sg/sg. We interpret this finding as indicating: (a) the staggerer mutant gene may directly affect the phosphatase component of the protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle in the sg/sg Purkinje cells; or (b) the reduced mRNA expression may be a secondary phenomenon, resulting from abnormal Purkinje cell function due to the lack of synaptic input.

Animals↗

Effects of carnosine and related compounds on generation of free oxygen species: a comparative study.

The effect of carnosine and related compounds on the luminol- and lucigenin-dependent luminescence of rabbit leukocytes, activated by BaSO4, has been studied. Carnosine was found to modify BaSO4-induced chemiluminescence of leukocytes via suppression of hypochlorous anion generation with simultaneous stimulation the system of oxygen superoxide anion. Additionally to this effect carnosine prevents enzymic dismutation of O2.. Anserine, acetylanserine, and homocarnosine also possess the ability to activate O.2 production by leukocytes. The effect is not inherent to imidazole used in the same concentrations. Suppression of myeloperoxidase reaction by carnosine and related compounds is explained by both inhibiting action on the enzyme itself, and direct neutralization of hypochlorous anion due to formation of stable chloroamine complexes. Methylation of carnosine at N1 nitrogen of imidazole ring, leading to anserine, forced inhibition of myeloperoxidase system, whereas its acetylation at the free beta-amino group weakened this effect.

Acetylation↗

A monoclonal antibody that specifically reacts with human embryonal carcinomas, spermatogonia and oocytes is able to induce human EC cell death.

We developed a mouse monoclonal antibody, 6E2 (IgG3), against a human embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line, NCR-G3, that possesses totipotent differentiation capabilities. Culturing human EC cells in the presence of 6E2 causes their death. It has been shown that 6E2 kills EC cells dose dependently. In immunohistochemical examination with normal human germ cells, 6E2 reacted specifically with spermatogonia and oocytes. Among human germ cell tumor tissues on aceton-fixed frozen sections, 6E2 reacted with embryonal carcinomas, seminomas and dysgerminomas, but it did not react with choriocarcinomas or with yolk sac tumors. Consistently, in flow cytometric analysis of cultured human germ cell tumor cell lines, 6E2 reacted exclusively with EC cells including NCR-G3 cells. It was revealed, by preserving its antigenicity after treatment with periodic acid and tunicamycin and by radiolabeling cells followed by immunoprecipitation, that the molecule defined by 6E2 is a cell surface protein having a molecular weight of approximately 80 kDa. These data illustrate that the molecule defined by 6E2 links human germ cell tumors, especially embryonal carcinoma, seminoma and dysgerminoma, to their normal counterparts and that it may play a role in survival and proliferation of human EC cells.

Animals↗

Human TRH receptor messenger ribonucleic acid levels in normal and adenomatous pituitary: analysis by the competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the mechanism of diversity in in-vivo hormonal responsiveness to TRH in patients with functional pituitary adenomas. In order to clarify the relation between the responsiveness to TRH and TRH receptor messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression, we attempted to measure TRH receptor mRNA levels in human pituitary adenoma tissues by competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. PATIENTS: Pituitary tissue samples were obtained at autopsy from 5 patients without pituitary disease. Pituitary adenoma tissue samples were obtained at surgery from 18 patients with pituitary adenoma (4 non-functioning, 8 prolactinoma, 4 acromegaly, 1 Cushing's disease and 1 FSH producing adenoma). METHODS: Partial TRH receptor cDNA from a human GH producing adenoma cDNA library was amplified by PCR under low stringency conditions using primers encoding the transmembrane domains III and VI of pituitary TRH receptor cDNA. The partial sequence of the amplified cDNA determined by a dideoxy-chain termination method was identical to the corresponding sequence of human TRH receptor cDNA. A competitor was generated by deleting the inner 111 bp from the amplified TRH receptor cDNA and subcloning. RNA extracted from human pituitary was reverse transcribed and co-amplified with competitor by PCR under higher stringency conditions. The TRH receptor mRNA levels, expressed as the relative intensity against the amplified levels of competitor, were compared among various pituitary tissues. RESULTS: The relative TRH receptor mRNA levels of pituitary tissues in patients without pituitary disease were detectable and variable (M +/- SD) (0.370 +/- 0.231, n = 5), and slightly but not significantly lower than those in patients with pituitary tumours (0.598 +/- 0.265, n = 18). In patients with prolactinoma, the relative levels of TRH receptor mRNA were quite variable (0.02-1.170, 0.604 +/- 0.358, n = 8) and not correlated with PRL responsiveness to TRH (responder 0.457; non-responder 0.340-0.950). In patients with acromegaly, TRH receptor mRNA was detectable not only in the paradoxical GH responder to TRH (0.718) but also in the non-responder (0.758 and 0.765). In one patient with Cushing's disease, a relatively low level of TRH receptor mRNA could be detected (0.415). In the patient with a FSH producing tumour whose plasma FSH did not respond to TRH, a small amount of TRH receptor mRNA was detectable (0.447). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with functioning pituitary adenomas, hormonal responsiveness to TRH in vivo might not be assessable by TRH receptor mRNA levels in the adenoma cells.

Adenoma↗

Immunohistochemical analysis of giant cell glioblastoma.

Giant cell glioblastoma (GCG) is one of a group of rare tumors in which the cell population is abnormally large and includes multinucleated cells of gigantic sizes. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on four GCG cases and found that all giant cells and/or tumor cells were positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S-100 protein, and vimentin, thus verifying the tumor's glial origin. The nuclei of multinucleated giant cells of three adult cases were frequently immunostained for proteins expressed during the cell cycle (proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67), thereby demonstrating the proliferative capacity of these cells. By contrast, those of a 12 year old girl expressed these cell cycle markers rather infrequently. Alpha I-antitrypsin was detected with relatively high frequency in the giant cells, and its presence may explain their bizarre sizes and pericellular reticulin fiber formation. A literature review of 32 cases revealed that the GCG that occurs preferentially in young girls is a type of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma. By contrast, GCG in adult males has the same age incidence as ordinary glioblastomas and, as these, expresses high levels of cell cycle-related proteins. Thus, GCG, which is subclassified morphologically as ordinary glioblastoma, has distinct biological and clinical characteristics, with that in children requiring re-evaluation because of its similarities to pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma.

Age Factors↗