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Biomedical subjects

H Hashimoto

Publications and source records attributed to H Hashimoto.

At least 1,099 records · Page 61Linked to original sources

Determination of putrescine in brain tissue using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to assay putrescine in minute regions of single rat brains. Acid extraction, partial purification on Amberlite CG 120, and derivatization with pentafluoropropionic anhydride preceded the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A moving-needle solventless system and a direct inlet system were also used to increase sensitivity. Putrescine was measured accurately at the picomole level; the mean concentration of this polyamine in five regions of rat brain found by this method was 2.7-3.8 times higher than reported by other researchers.

Animals↗

Epithelial profile of epithelioid sarcoma. An immunohistochemical analysis of eight cases.

Eight cases of epithelioid sarcoma were examined immunohistochemically, in order to clarify the adjunct epithelial profile of the tumor and to ascertain the intermediate filaments contained in the tumor cells. All tissues showed a strongly positive immunoreactivity for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA). In the case of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), one showed a strong reaction, whereas the others were variably less stained. Cytokeratins (45 kd and 54 kd) specific for simple epithelia, including coelomic epithelium, were regularly found in all cases; a small number of cells were positive for high molecular weight cytokeratin (57 kd) and none for 66 kd cytokeratin. Coexpression of both cytokeratin and vimentin was confirmed using fresh-frozen materials. Therefore, both microscopic and immunohistochemical evidence supports the hypothesis that epithelioid sarcoma masquerades as a carcinoma.

Adolescent↗

Subacute leucoencephalopathy induced by carmofur, a 5-fluorouracil derivative.

Three cases of leucoencephalopathy induced by carmofur (1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil), an antineoplastic derivative of 5-fluorouracil are reported and the literature is reviewed. Initial symptoms were unsteady gait and dementia developing several weeks or months after carmofur had been started. Symptoms increased gradually even after stopping the drug. Severe encephalopathy with confusion, delirium or coma appeared frequently. Symptoms were usually reversible but death occasionally occurred. The EEG showed marked slowing. Computed tomography of the brains of severely intoxicated patients showed marked hypodensity of the entire cerebral white matter. Carmofur must be discontinued immediately if any psychomotor symptoms develop.

Aged↗

The existence of rhabdoid cells in specified soft tissue sarcomas. Histopathological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical evidence.

We report the occurrence of rhabdoid cells in several specified soft tissue sarcomas of round cell variety. The rhabdoid cells had an acidophilic cytoplasm containing a globular perinuclear inclusion and were characterised ultrastructurally by the presence of aggregates of 10 nm intermediate filaments. These filaments contained both cytokeratin and vimentin, as demonstrated immunohistochemically. Extensive sampling of soft tissue sarcomas revealed the presence of such cells in different types of soft tissue round cell sarcomas as follows: 12 of 13 cases of epithelioid sarcomas, 8 of 13 synovial sarcomas (composed predominantly of round cells), 6 of 20 extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas and 4 of 4 round celled malignant mesotheliomas. We wish to stress that the appearance of rhabdoid cells is not a monopoly of one particular type of tumour.

Cell Aggregation↗

In situ hybridization analysis of cytomegalovirus lytic infection in Kaposi's sarcoma associated with AIDS. A study of 14 autopsy cases.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was assayed by in situ hybridization with commercially available biotin-labeled CMV-DNA probes in 45 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded autopsy specimens with Kaposi's sarcoma from 14 cases of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In seven of the 14 cases, a few scattered hybridizing cells were detected in Kaposi's sarcoma, but not all specimens from the same case showed such cells. Most of the positive cells were peculiarly swollen and not typical of Kaposi's sarcoma cells. All positive cases had at least some CMV-infected organs with typical cytomegalic cells containing nuclear inclusions while five of the 7 negative cases revealed no CMV-infected tissue by conventional light microscopy. Our results suggest that this in situ hybridization procedure using biotin-labeled DNA probes only reveals generalized CMV infection that is a consequence of impairment of immune mechanisms in AIDS patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

The Leu-1 B-cell subpopulation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Ly-1-B cells have been shown to be elevated in autoimmune mice, especially NZB, and to secrete IgM autoantibody, suggesting that Ly-1 B cells may participate in autoimmune diseases. In this study, B-cell populations carrying Leu-1, a human T-cell surface molecule homologous to mouse Ly-1 (Leu-1 B), were examined by dual fluorescence flow cytometry, in peripheral blood lymphocytes taken from patients suffering from various autoimmune disease. These B cells were shown to be present at a significantly high percentage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. There was no significant correlation among the incidence of Leu-1 B cells, rheumatoid factor (RF) titers, and the amount of IgM production in vitro. There was, however, a significantly high incidence of Leu-1 B cells in RA patients with a high RF titer (greater than 5 X 2(13), suggesting that these B cells in RA may play an important role in IgM RF production in vivo.

Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte↗

Severe hypertension in infant with unilateral hypoplastic kidney.

Unilateral renal hypoplasia unlike Ask-Upmark kidney (segmental renal hypoplasia) seldom causes hypertension. A case of an infant whose hypertension disappeared after removal of a hypoplastic kidney is reported. The removed kidney revealed no sign of Ask-Upmark lesion.

Humans↗

Coexistence of fast and slow myosin isozymes in human external urethral sphincter. A preliminary report.

Human external urethral sphincter muscle was isolated for biochemical research. Myosin samples were prepared and pyrophosphate gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional electrophoresis were performed. Assignment in pyrophosphate gel of myosin isozymes of human external urethral sphincter was carried out by making comparisons with those from human rectus abdominis muscle. Myosin light chains in human external urethral sphincter were identified using two-dimensional electrophoresis. Human external urethral sphincter, similar to other voluntary muscles, is composed of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, since fast and slow myosin components were shown in both pyrophosphate gel and two-dimensional electrophoretograms.

Electrophoresis↗

Time dependent conversion of creatine kinase MM isoforms in man.

Subforms of creatine kinase MM isoenzyme (isoforms, pI: MMA = 7.95, MMB = 7.76, MMC = 7.54) in human myocardium and serum were quantified by chromatofocusing. Creatine kinase MMA was a dominant isoform (greater than 94% of MM) in normal (n = 3) and in both infarcted and non-infarcted myocardium (n = 2). To investigate isoform conversion in vitro partially purified MMA was incubated with human plasma at 37 degrees C for 24 h (n = 5). Creatine kinase MMB (0%, 47%, 44% of MM at 0, 12, 24 h respectively) and MMC (0%, 22%, 42%) sequentially appeared in incubation media whereas MMA (100%, 31%, 14%) disappeared rapidly with a mean disappearance rate of -0.00169(0.00021)(SD) min-1. Individual differences in conversion velocity were small (SD less than 5%). To investigate isoform conversion in vivo serum isoforms were analysed in patients with acute myocardial infarction (n = 7). MMA was first dominant (A:B:C = 54:34:12%) in the early stage (6-9 h after the onset of chest pain) followed by MMB dominant (19:42:39%) in the middle stage (24-35 h), and MMC dominant (6:22:72%) in the late stage (54-60 h). Changes in isoform proportion were time dependent regardless of serum creatine kinase activity. These findings are consistent with canine isoform conversion reported previously except that in man the velocity of conversion was slower than in the dog. Thus analysis of serum creatine kinase MM isoforms may allow the onset of acute myocardial infarction to be precisely dated. Moreover, determination of MMA, the isoform native to myocardium with a short serum half life, may be useful in the prompt diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

Creatine Kinase↗

Acetylcholine and norepinephrine concentrations in the heart of spontaneously hypertensive rats: a parasympathetic role in hypertension.

To determine the role of the parasympathetic system in the development of essential hypertension, the concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh) as a parasympathetic marker and norepinephrine (NE) as a sympathetic marker were measured simultaneously in the heart of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) at 4, 10 and 27 weeks of age, and in age-matched control Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). ACh was measured using a highly sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) attached to a newly developed immobilized fixed enzyme column system. NE was measured by conventional HPLC-ECD. The ACh concentration decreased in the order right atrium (RA) greater than left atrium (LA) greater than right ventricle (RV) greater than interventricular septum (IVS) greater than left ventricle (LV) in both SHR and WKY of all age groups, and NE showed an almost identical pattern. The concentration of ACh tended to increase and that of NE to decrease with age in both strains. The concentrations of ACh in the heart were significantly different in the two strains, with the levels being consistently higher in the SHR strain regardless of age, although differences were most significant at 10 weeks. The mean concentrations of NE were higher in SHR than in WKY, but the differences between the two strains were significant only in the RV and IVS. The functional meanings of a given tissue concentration of a neurotransmitter are still controversial. However, the increase in SHR heart ACh concentration, in parallel with the development of hypertension, may reflect the augmented parasympathetic activity counteracting or compensating for the augmented sympathetic drive in the early stage of hypertension.

Acetylcholine↗

Characterization and mobilization of nonconjugative plasmids encoding resistance to streptomycin and sulfanilamide.

Most of nonconjugative streptomycin (Sm)- and sulfanilamide (Su)- resistance of clinical isolates belonging to various species of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas were encoded by an Inc Q plasmid, molecular size of which was 5.5 Md. The SmSu plasmids were efficiently mobilized by Inc P plasmids between E. coli strains. Inc I group and Inc F group plasmids could mobilize the Inc Q plasmids at lower efficiencies. The Inc Q plasmid was also mobilized to various species of Enterobacteriaceae at high frequencies without accompanying the conjugative Inc P plasmid; as a result, most of the SmSu-resistant transconjugants were nontransferable. The above results may explain the wide distribution of nonconjugative SmSu strains among clinical isolates.

Conjugation, Genetic↗

Effects of L-erythro-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylserine on sleep-wakefulness patterns and concentrations of brain catecholamines and serotonin in rats.

The effects of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (DOPS), a nonnatural precursor of noradrenaline, on the sleep-wakefulness patterns of rats were studied. When the animals received an intraperitoneal injection of L-erythro-DOPS (200 mg/kg), a significant increase in slow wave sleep and a tendency to decrease wakefulness were observed during the first 2 hours after the injection. Paradoxical sleep increased 4-8 hours after the treatment. A simultaneous injection of benserazide (20 mg/kg) enhanced these effects. L-threo-DOPS (200 mg/kg, i.p.) had no effect on the sleep-wakefulness patterns. The effects of DOPS on the concentrations of brain catecholamines and serotonin in rats were also examined. An intraperitoneal injection of L-erythro-DOPS markedly increased the concentration of noradrenaline (probably the d-form) and decreased that of serotonin and dopamine. L-threo-DOPS had no effect on the brain monoamine levels of the rats in the present experimental condition. The effects of L-erythro-DOPS on the neurons containing noradrenaline in the rats were examined by fluorescence histochemistry. Fluorescence in the neuronal perikarya and fibers containing noradrenaline markedly increased in the n. coeruleus, n. paraventricularis and cerebral cortex after an intraperitoneal injection of amino acid. Fibers containing the fluorescence also increased in the second two areas.

Animals↗

Distribution of putrescine in rat brain measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

We measured putrescine levels in minute sites of single rat brains using a sensitive, specific assay involving gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The putrescine level was measured in 20 sites of single rat brains: three sites in the cerebral cortex, six sites in the hypothalamus, three sites in the basal ganglia, three sites in the thalamus, three sites in the limbic system, and two sites in the cerebellum. The level of putrescine was very high in the hypothalamus, high in the basal ganglia and limbic system, and low in the thalamus, cerebellum, and two of the three sites in the cerebral cortex. The highest levels were in the anterior hypothalamic area and the lateral hypothalamic area, and the lowest levels were in the vermis and the lobe of the cerebellum.

Animals↗

High incidence of hemolysin production by Enterococcus (Streptococcus) faecalis strains associated with human parenteral infections.

Hemolysin production, clumping (pheromone) response, transferability of the hemolytic trait, and drug resistance were examined in 97 clinical isolates of Enterococcus (Streptococcus) faecalis. The isolates were derived from various sources (i.e., urine, pus, vagina, sputum, bile, and blood), and approximately 60% were found to be hemolytic. About 85% of the hemolytic strains exhibited a clumping response, compared with about 49% of the nonhemolytic strains. Over 50% of the hemolytic strains carried transferable hemolysin determinants, and in no case were drug resistance genes linked. The hemolytic strains exhibited multiple drug resistance more frequently than did the nonhemolytic strains. In contrast to the high frequency of hemolysin producers among parenteral isolates, strains derived from fecal specimens of healthy individuals exhibited a low (17%) incidence of hemolysin production.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗