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Biomedical subjects

H Aoki

Publications and source records attributed to H Aoki.

At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

Activation of tumoricidal properties in macrophages and inhibition of experimentally-induced murine metastases by a new synthetic acyltripeptide, FK-565.

The effect of FK-565, a novel low molecular weight (MW) acyltripeptide, on tumoricidal properties of murine macrophages is reported here. Peritoneal macrophages (PMs) harvested from C57BL/6 mice and beige mice were rendered cytotoxic to syngeneic B16 melanoma cells following their interaction in vitro with FK-565. Maximal and reproducible activation of tumoricidal properties in PM were obtained by interaction in vitro with 25 micrograms/ml of FK-565 for a 24 h period, and as little as 0.5 microgram/ml of FK-565 was sufficient to induce significant cytotoxicity. Murine PMs activated by FK-565 in vitro were cytotoxic to syngeneic and xenogeneic tumor cells, but did not affect allogeneic nontumor cells. The PMs were also activated to kill B16 melanoma cells by intraperitoneal injections of FK-565 (10 mg/kg). Multiple injections of FK-565 into mice also slightly but significantly inhibited lung metastases. These results suggest that FK-565 has potential as an effective immunopotentiator in immunotherapy.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Developmental trends of jumping reaction time by means of EMG in mentally retarded children.

Developmental trends of jumping reaction time (RT) in mentally retarded children were studied cross-sectionally. Fifty-three boys, ranging in CA from 7 to 18 years, took part in the jumping RT task. RT measurements were obtained from EMG of an agonist muscle (rectus femoris). There was a significant decrease in RT with increasing CA. Correlation between RT and MA was highly significant, but discontinuity in the distribution was found between MA of 6 and 7 years. The subjects with a MA below 6 were characterized by large variability as well as slowness in RT. RT was not correlated with CA holding MA constant among the subjects with a MA below 6. The subjects with a MA above 7 showed relatively small variability within and between subjects. RT in subjects with a MA above 7 decreased with CA holding MA constant but RIV showed no change. RT in children with a very low MA is prolonged by inefficiency which reflects difficulty in maintaining attention or arousal level. The efficiency in information processing may change between the MAs of 6 and 7 years.

Adolescent↗

[Evaluation of neurogenic bladder in patients with spinal cord injury using a CMG.EMG study and CMG.UFM.EMG study].

Simultaneous recording of intravesical pressure, sphincter electromyography and uroflowmetry (CMG.UFM.EMG study) was performed following cystometry simultaneously with electromyography (CMG.EMG study) on 20 patients with spinal cord injuries. Differences in the influence to micturition between the CMG.EMG study and CMG.UFM.EMG study is thought to be due to whether the catheter is indwelling in the urethra or not. We examined those differences and patient's rehabilitation maneuver (Cred'e maneuver). Micturition pressure and opening pressure measured by the CMG.EMG study were larger than that measured by the CMG.UFM.EMG study (P less than 0.05, P less than 0.01 respectively). Incidence of detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia measured by the CMG.EMG study was greater than that measured by the CMG.UFM.EMG study in the detrusor hyperreflexic cases. The Cred'e maneuver caused increase in opening pressure, micturition pressure and peak flow rate, but the voiding volume and voiding time did not increase to any effective extent. The Cred'e maneuver exaggerated the detrusor sphincter dyssynergia.

Adult↗

[Experience in using a ureterorenoscope in 14 cases].

We carried out studies using an ureterorenoscope in 14 cases, including 13 patients suffering from an ureteral stone. The stone was smaller than 1 cm and existed in lower and middle portion. The other patient had a foreign substance, which was a double J-stent catheter that had been passed into the middle portion of the ureter accidentally. Initially, the size and course of ureter, the position of stone and foreign substance were ascertained using a retrograde pyelogram. The patients were placed in a lithotomy position under spinal anesthesia or epidural anesthesia. The ureterorenoscope was inserted into the bladder through urethra and the instrument was further extended through ureteral orifice and ureteral lumen to the position of the calculus or foreign substance while observing the procedure. Once the calculus or foreign substance was observed, a 4F Pfister-Schwartz stone retriever or forceps was inserted through working channel. After coming in contact with the stone or foreign substance, the matter was removed while observing it with the scope. The foreign substance and 77% of the stones observed were removed by this procedure and the usefulness of the ureterorenoscope was successfully demonstrated in the cases. However, on the other hand, of these 14 cases, 2 (14%) experienced ureteral injury. In one case, the ureter was penetrated by the scope; and in another, injury occurred during the biopsy of the ureteral wall. Therefore, it is our opinion that more careful use of the ureterorenoscope is necessary to prevent these types of injuries.

Adult↗

[Clinical experience of norfloxacin in urinary tract infection].

Norfloxacin (NFLX) was administered to outpatients and inpatients with urinary tract infections at our department. Clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated in 50 patients by the criteria for evaluation of clinical efficacy of antimicrobial agents on urinary tract infection. Overall clinical efficacy for 17 cases with acute simple cystitis was excellent in 13 cases, moderate in 4 cases with an effectiveness rate of 100%. The overall clinical efficacy for 33 cases with chronic complicated UTI was excellent in 18 cases, moderate in 6 cases and poor in 9 cases with an effectiveness rate of 73%. The eradication rate of 21 strains from acute simple cystitis patients was 100%. Forty four out of 60 strains from chronic complicated UTI patients were eradicated and the eradication rate was 73%. Neither subjective nor objective adverse reactions were observed in 50 patients. Abnormal changes in laboratory tests were found in 8 patients, but were probably not related to NFLX administration. Judging from these results, NFLX is considered to be an effective and safe antibacterial for the treatment of UTI.

Adolescent↗

Femoro-internal carotid artery bypass for cerebral ischemia in takayasu's arteritis.

In two patients with Takayasu's arteritis, severe cerebral ischemia was successfully treated by femoral to internal carotid artery bypass using a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft through a subcutaneous tunnel. All of the arch branches were critically stenotic or occluded in both patients. The entire thoracic aorta was affected by the active inflammation process in one patient and there was marked calcification in the other patient. In these situations we hesitate to use the thoracic aorta as the donor site of bypass. Considering that Takayasu's arteritis affects the thoracic aorta and the proximal portions of its branches, the femoro-internal carotid artery bypass can be constructed without involving severely diseased vessels and can be expected to result in good cerebral revascularization.

Adult↗

Mechanism of interference between influenza A/WSN and B/Kanagawa viruses.

Simultaneous infection of MDCK cells with influenza viruses A/WSN and B/Kanagawa resulted in mutual interference with virus protein synthesis and in significant suppression of A/WSN growth. When infection by one virus preceded the other by 1 or 2 h, growth of the superinfecting virus was selectively inhibited at the level of transcription. Interference by the pre-infecting virus was strongly dependent on the expression of the viral genome but not on haemagglutinin activity. When the replication of both virus types was restricted to primary transcription by cycloheximide, the only translation products following removal of the drug were those of the preinfecting virus. This result was not affected by blocking secondary transcription by actinomycin D. These findings suggest that intertypic interference occurs at the level of primary transcription. This concept was supported further by the observation that a ts mutant of A/WSN (ts-65) with a defect in primary transcription interfered only with superinfection by B/Kanagawa at the permissive temperature.

Animals↗

Abortive infection of L cells by influenza B virus: defect in bud formation.

Host-dependent restriction of influenza B virus replication in L cells was analysed in comparison with productive infection in MDCK or 1-5C-4 cells. The synthesis and intracellular distribution of virus-specific proteins and the production of cytoplasmic ribonucleoproteins in nonpermissive L cells were similar to those in permissive MDCK cells. However, an electron microscopic study of infected L cells showed neither extracellular virions nor budding virus particles on the cell surface, in contrast to MDCK cells which produced numerous virus particles. PAGE analysis of the plasma membrane isolated from the cells demonstrated no significant difference in the composition of viral polypeptides between permissive 1-5C-4 and nonpermissive L cells. It was noted that the abortiveness of influenza B virus infection in L cells may be due to a defect in host cell function involved in the initiation of virus budding.

Animals↗

Amauromine, a new vasodilator. Taxonomy, isolation and characterization.

Amauromine is a new alkaloid with vasodilating activity obtained from the culture broth of Amauroascus sp. No. 6237. Its molecular formula was determined to be C32H36N4O2 on the basis of elementary analysis and high resolution mass spectroscopic measurement. It has low toxicity in mice.

Alkaloids↗

Potentiation of tumoricidal properties of murine macrophages by Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (N-CWS).

Intraperitoneal injection of squalene-treated cell wall skeleton of Nocardia rubra (N-CWS) caused increase in number of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC). Adherent macrophages obtained from N-CWS-treated PEC suppressed growth of methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma (Meth-A), when injected intradermally with the tumor cells into BALB/c mice. The macrophages showed strong cytotoxicity against Meth-A cells in vitro. When treated with 10 micrograms/ml of N-CWS in vitro, proteose peptone-induced macrophages acquired tumoricidal property but resident macrophages showed no cytotoxicity after the treatment. In the supernatant of spleen cells cultured for 72 hours in the presence of N-CWS (10 micrograms/ml), the presence of (a) factor(s) with macrophage activating effect was observed. This factor, shown to be identical to macrophage activating factor (MAF) in molecular weight, showed synergy with N-CWS in potentiating macrophage cytotoxicity against tumor cells.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Establishment of a tumor-specific immunotherapy model utilizing TNP-reactive helper T cell activity and its application to the autochthonous tumor system.

Preinduction of potent hapten-reactive helper T cell activity and subsequent immunization with hapten-coupled syngeneic tumor cells result in enhanced induction of tumor-specific immunity through T-T cell collaboration between anti-hapten helper T cells and tumor-specific effector T cells. On the basis of this augmenting mechanism, a tumor-specific immunotherapy protocol was established in which a growing tumor regresses by utilizing a potent trinitrophenyl (TNP)-helper T cell activity. C3H/He mice were allowed to generate the amplified (more potent) TNP-helper T cell activity by skin painting with trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB) after pretreatment with cyclophosphamide. Five weeks later, the mice were inoculated intradermally with syngeneic transplantable X5563 tumor cells. When TNCB was injected into X5563 tumor mass, an appreciable number of growing tumors, in the only group of C3H/He mice in which the amplified TNP-helper T cell activity had been generated were observed to regress (regressor mice). These regressor mice were shown to have acquired tumor-specific T cell-mediated immunity. Such immunity was more potent than that acquired in mice whose tumor was simply removed by surgical resection. These results indicate that in situ TNP haptenation of the tumor cells in TNP-primed mice can induce the enhanced tumor-specific immunity leading to the regression of a growing tumor. Most importantly, the present study further investigates the applicability of this TNP immunotherapy protocol to an autochthonous tumor system. The results demonstrate that an appreciable percent of growing methylcholanthrene-induced autochthonous tumors regressed by the above TNP immunotherapy protocol. Thus, the present model provides an effective maneuver for tumor-specific immunotherapy in syngeneic transplantable as well as autochthonous tumor systems.

Animals↗

[A case of so-called plasma cell granuloma of the stomach--demonstration of monoclonal immunoglobulin (IgM, K) in the plasma cells].

A patient with a surgically removed plasma cell granuloma of the stomach is reported. The patient was a 54-year-old male, the lesion was IIc-like on the anterior wall of the antrum. Histologically conspicuous features were marked thickening of the submucosa by fibrosis, hyperplastic lymph follicles and massive infiltration of mature plasma cells. However, immunohistochemical study using the PAP technique demonstrated the monoclonal nature of the infiltrating plasma cells which were positive for IgM, k. This is the fourth case of plasma cell granuloma reported in the literature, however, our findings also suggested that this might be an early stage of plasmacytoma.

Granuloma↗