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Biomedical subjects

H Furukawa

Publications and source records attributed to H Furukawa.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Phencyclidine-induced discriminative stimulus is mediated via phencyclidine binding sites on the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-ion channel complex, not via sigma(1) receptors.

The effects of several N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor- and sigma receptor-related compounds on the discriminative stimulus effects of phencyclidine (PCP) were examined in rats trained to discriminate PCP (1.5 mg/kg, i.p.) from saline under a two-lever fixed ratio 20 schedule of food reinforcement. PCP produced a dose-dependent increase in PCP-appropriate responding. A non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, dizocilpine (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) and a putative sigma(1) receptor agonist, (+)-SKF-10047 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) fully substituted for PCP in every rat tested. Neither a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, CGS-19755 (0.1-3 mg/kg, i.p.), sigma(1) receptor agonist, (+)-pentazocine (10-30 mg/kg, i.p.) nor dextromethorphan (10-20 mg/kg, i.p.) produced PCP-like discriminative stimulus effects. The discriminative stimulus effects of PCP (1.5 mg/kg, i.p.), dizocilpine (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) and (+)-SKF-10047 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) were significantly attenuated by CGS-19755 (1 mg/kg, i.p.), but not by sigma(1) receptor antagonist BMY-14802 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and NE-100 (5 mg/kg, i.p.). These results suggest that the discriminative stimulus effects of PCP are predominantly mediated via PCP binding sites on the NMDA receptor-ion channel complex, not via sigma(1) receptors. In addition, the PCP-like discriminative stimulus effects of (+)-SKF-10047 were demonstrated to be mediated via PCP binding sites.

Animals↗

Cancer chemopreventive activity of 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavone from the peel of citrus plants.

Nobiletin and 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavone (HPT), isolated from the peel of Citrus plants, were examined for the anti-tumor-initiating activity on two-stage carcinogenesis of mouse skin tumors induced by a nitric oxide donor, (+/-)-(E)-methyl-2-[(E)-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-6-methoxy-3-hexenamide, as an initiator and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate as a promoter. HPT exhibited the remarkable anti-tumor-initiating effect on mouse skin and it suggested the possibility of HPT being a chemopreventive agent against nitric oxide (NO) carcinogenesis.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Clozapine, but not haloperidol, reverses social behavior deficit in mice during withdrawal from chronic phencyclidine treatment.

Phencyclidine (PCP) reduced social behavior (SB) in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. However, no such SB deficit was observed on repeated treatment with methamphetamine for 14 days. The SB deficit produced by treatment with PCP (10 mg/kg/day) for 14 days, which persisted for 28 days after withdrawal, was attenuated by clozapine (10 mg/kg/day) given for 7 days, whereas haloperidol for 7 days had no effect. Clozapine, but not haloperidol, alone at the same treatment dose increased SB in saline-treated mice. These results suggest that the proposed PCP model in mice will provide a tool to test beneficial effects of atypical antipsychotics on social dysfunction in schizophrenia, and contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms by which clozapine improves SB deficit.

Animals↗

Detection of autoantibodies to killer immunoglobulin-like receptors using recombinant fusion proteins for two killer immunoglobulin-like receptors in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the existence of autoantibodies to killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), especially p58.1 (KIR2DL1) and p58.2 (KIR2DL3), in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. METHODS: Sera from 30 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 22 patients with Behçet's disease, and 20 healthy control subjects were tested for anti-p58.1 and anti-p58.2 antibodies by Western blot analysis using recombinant p58.1 and p58.2 proteins. Furthermore, clinical features and laboratory data were compared between the anti-p58.1/58.2 antibody-positive and -negative patients. RESULTS: Anti-p58.1 antibodies were detected in 7 (23.3%) of the 30 patients with SLE, 9 (30%) of the 30 patients with RA, and 6 (27.3%) of the 22 patients with Behçet's disease. Anti-p58.2 antibodies were detected in the same 22 patients who were positive for the anti-p58.1 antibodies. None of the serum samples from the healthy donors were positive for antibodies to the recombinant p58.1 or p58.2 molecules. Compared with the anti-p58.1/ 58.2 antibody-negative patients, the anti-p58.1/58.2 antibody-positive patients had significantly elevated levels of serum IgG in all 3 diseases tested, an accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate in RA and SLE, and decreased white blood cell counts in RA. CONCLUSION: This report is the first to describe the presence of autoantibodies to KIR2DL (p58.1 and p58.2) in the sera of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. Considering the correlation with several clinical features, these autoantibodies may be involved in the pathologic process of the autoimmune diseases.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Surgically treated aortic root aneurysm following aortic valve replacement.

A 65-year-old man with aortic regurgitation underwent aortic valve replacement with a St. Jude Medical prosthetic valve about 6 years ago. At that time, the aortic root was slightly dilated at about 40 mm in diameter and the ascending aorta was within the normal range. This year, the man was diagnosed with an aortic root aneurysm in regular follow-up echocardiography. Chest-enhanced computed tomography and chest aortography at our hospital demonstrated a pear-like aortic root aneurysm about 60 mm in diameter. Elective operation for the aortic root aneurysm was conducted September 29, 1999, based on the Bentall procedure. Composite graft replacement with coronary reconstruction was conducted using a 28-mm Hemashield prosthetic graft and a 23-mm St. Jude Medical prosthetic valve under cardiopulmonary bypass. An 8-mm Hemashield graft was interposed on the left main coronary artery and the right coronary artery was directly anastomosed using a Carrel patch method. The postoperative course was uneventful and post-operative examination demonstrated good surgical results. Histological findings of the aortic aneurysm wall showed cystic medial necrosis. Surgical cases of aortic root aneurysm after aortic valve replacement are rare, but serious complications with the possibility of rupture or dissection warrant surgical intervention.

Aged↗

Splenic and pulmonary metastases from renal cell carcinoma: report of a case.

We report herein the case of a patient in whom pulmonary and splenic metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were successfully treated by surgical excision. A 69-year-old man who underwent left nephrectomy for RCC 17 months before was suspected to have a pulmonary metastasis based on computed tomography (CT) findings. Partial resection of the left lower lobe was performed with thoracoscopic assistance. However, 4 months later, a splenic tumor, 6 cm in diameter, was detected by CT and ultrasonography, and a splenectomy was performed. Histologically, both resected specimens were diagnosed as metastasis from RCC. A second pulmonary metastasis of the left upper lobe was resected 4 years 8 months later. The patient was in good health when last seen 11 months after his last operation. Malignant neoplasms rarely metastasize to the spleen and most cases are found at autopsy, or feature multiple distant metastases. Only four other cases of splenic metastases from RCC have been reported. The prognosis associated with splenic metastasis is favorable when only a solitary lesion exists.

Aged↗

Phencyclidine impairs latent learning in mice: interaction between glutamatergic systems and sigma(1) receptors.

The effect of phencyclidine (PCP) on latent learning was investigated using a one-trial water-finding task in mice. Mice without water deprivation were given PCP or saline before a training trial, which consisted of exposure to a novel open-field environment with an alcove containing a water tube. Twenty to twenty-four hours after water deprivation, animals were placed in the same apparatus and the time required to find the water tube measured (test trial). Saline-treated trained mice showed a significantly shorter time to find the water tube during the test trial (finding latency) than naive mice that had not been trained. When PCP (1mg/kg i.p.) was administered before the training trial, the finding latency was significantly prolonged in comparison with that in the saline-treated mice, indicating that PCP induced impairment of latent learning. 1-(3,4-Dimethoxy-phenethyl)-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine dihydrochloride (SA4503: 0.3 mg/kg s.c.) and (+)-pentazocine (1 mg/kg s.c.), selective sigma(1) receptor agonists, or D-cycloserine (10 and 30mg/kg, s.c.), a glycine binding site agonist, significantly counteracted the PCP-induced impairment of latent learning, whereas (+)-SKF-10,047 (0.1-3 mg/kg s.c.), a putative sigma(1) receptor agonist, did not. The ameliorating effects of SA4503 and (+)-pentazocine were antagonized by N,N-dipropyl-2-(4-methoxy-3-(2-phenylethoxy) phenyl) ethylamine (NE-100: 1 mg/kg i.p.), a selective sigma(1) receptor antagonist. SA4503 also ameliorated the impairment of latent learning induced by dizocilpine, a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, the effect being antagonized by NE-100. These results suggest that PCP induces an impairment of latent learning, this effect being mediated via glutamatergic systems, and that activation of sigma(1) receptors ameliorates impairment of latent learning induced by PCP.

Animals↗

Cancer chemopreventive agents. New depsidones from Garcinia plants.

In a search for cancer chemopreventive agents from natural sources, chemical constituents of two kinds of Garcinia plants, Garcinia neglecta and Garcinia puat, collected in New Caledonia, were examined. Five new depsidones, garcinisidone-B (2), -C (3), -D (4), -E (5), and -F (6), were isolated, and their structures were determined by spectrometric analyses. Inhibitory effects of these depsidones on EBV-EA activation induced by TPA in Raji cells were also demonstrated.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗

Two innovations of the star-flap technique for nipple reconstruction.

Two innovations of the star-flap technique for nipple reconstruction are described. A combination of the star-flap technique and a contralateral nipple graft is indicated in patients with a large nipple and small areola on the contralateral side. It provides sufficient volume for the new nipple and improves the shape of the donor nipple. A combination of the star-flap technique and a banked costal-cartilage graft offers better nipple contour and projection than the conventional star-flap technique. Preparation of the cartilage graft is easy and does not result in additional scarring; the nipple projection can be expected to be maintained over a long period.

Adult↗

Lignans as anti-tumor-promoter from the seeds of Hernandia ovigera.

Seven lignans (2-8) isolated from the seeds of Hernandia ovigera L. (Hernandiaceae) were tested for their inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in Raji cells. Using a primary screening test, all the lignans showed inhibitory activity with IC50 470-590 mol ratio/32 pmol TPA. The data demonstrated that these lignans might be valuable anti-tumor-promoters.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗

Chemopreventive activity of isoquinoline alkaloids from Corydalis plants.

Eighteen isoquinoline alkaloids including protoberberines (1-12), benzophenanthridines (13-16) and an aporphine (17) isolated from plants of Corydalis species (Fumariaceae) were tested for inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in Raji cells. In a primary screening test, all of the isoquinoline alkaloids showed inhibitory activity with the IC50 values being in the range of 140-410 mol ratio/32 pmol TPA. The data demonstrate that these isoquinoline alkaloids might be valuable as anti-tumor promoters.

Alkaloids↗

Survey of congenital anomalies associated with cleft lip and/or palate in 701,181 Japanese people.

There have been many reports on congenital anomalies associated with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/CLP) in Japan. However, these reports included data only on patients who came to hospitals; thus the real situation regarding these anomalies remains unclear. Therefore, we surveyed newborns at all delivery facilities in the central area of Japan for the presence of these anomalies, following their progress for 12 consecutive years; at the end of that time, questionnaires were collected and analyzed. In this article, we describe our results.

Birth Weight↗

Application of sentinel node biopsy to gastric cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel node (SN) biopsy has been tried in the management of a variety of cancers with the hope that it would eliminate many unnecessary lymph node dissections, resulting in less morbidity. This important technique, however, has not been tried in gastric cancer surgery. The feasibility of SN biopsy and its accuracy in predicting the lymph node status in patients with gastric cancer were examined in the current study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: SN biopsy was performed in patients with T1 (n = 44) or T2 (n = 30) gastric cancers (ie, immediately after laparotomy, indocyanine green was injected around the primary tumor, and the green-stained nodes [SNs: 2.6 +/- 1.7 nodes per patient] were removed). Then, gastrectomy with extended lymphadenectomy was performed. The unstained nodes (non-SNs: 39 +/- 18 nodes per patient) were obtained from the resected specimens. Both SNs and non-SNs were subjected to histologic examination with hematoxylin-eosin. RESULTS: SNs could be identified in 73 of 74 patients (success rate, 99%). Of these 73 patients, 10 had lymph node metastases in SNs or non-SNs, or both; 6 in both SNs and non-SNs; 3 in SNs alone; and 1 in non-SNs alone. The sensitivity of the SN status in the diagnosis of the lymph node status of the patient was 90% (9/10) and specificity was 100% (63/63). Sensitivity was 100% in the T1 group (n = 44) and 88% in the T2 group (n = 29). CONCLUSIONS: SN biopsy using indocyanine green can be performed with a high success rate, and the SN status can predict the lymph node status with a high degree of accuracy, especially in patients with T1 gastric cancer.

Coloring Agents↗

Is CT during arterial portography useful for the preoperative evaluation of liver metastases from pancreatic carcinoma?

We evaluated computed tomography during arterial portography (CTAP) for the preoperative evaluation of liver metastases from pancreatic carcinoma. Thirty-one patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas underwent CTAP for evaluation of liver metastasis. Diagnostic accuracy of CTAP was compared with that of intravenous contrast-enhanced CT (IVCT). In this series, both CTAP and IVCT showed the same diagnostic accuracy for the patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy of both CT examinations for detecting liver metastases were 60% (three of five), 100% (26 of 26), 100% (three of three), 93% (26 of 28), and 94% (29 of 31), respectively. CTAP did not confer any advantage over IVCT for the preoperative evaluation of liver metastases from pancreatic carcinoma.

Humans↗