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Biomedical subjects

H Kitamura

Publications and source records attributed to H Kitamura.

At least 451 records · Page 25Linked to original sources

[Role of immune skin reactions in progressive lung cancer during the administration of OK-432--relation to reactions to DNCB, PPD and Su-PS].

In order to study the role of immune skin reactions (DNCB, PPD, Su-PS reaction) in progressive lung cancer, various investigations were conducted, in particular during the administration of OK-432, and the following results were obtained. Before and after chemotherapy, only a slight decrease in the skin reactions was noted. Su-PS reaction was intensified by the administration of OK-432, but other skin reactions were not changed after 3 months, being only slightly intensified by long-term administration. At the time of remission achieved through radiochemotherapy during administration of OK-432, Su-PS reaction was intensified compared to the level before treatment, and a lowering tendency was noted at the time of recurrence. PPD reaction presented a similar tendency, but DNCB reaction did not show this trend. Concerning the relationship between skin reaction and survival period, the positive DNCB reaction group before treatment had a significantly extended survival period compared to that of the negative group. During administration of OK-432, Su-PS reaction was most useful at all timings, while PPD reaction occurred during the intermediate period. Upon observing the Su-PS reaction after 3 months of treatment, the prognosis was excellent in cases with erythema of 10 mm or more. However, no such tendency was noted for the PPD reaction. Thus, for understanding the pathologic state and prognosis of patients with progressive lung cancer, the Su-PS reaction was most useful during intra dermal administration of OK-432, the PPD reaction was moderately useful, but the DNCB reaction produced different results. Therefore, for the evaluation of prognosis, it was considered essential to select and combine the skin reactions according to the examination timing and treatment schedule.

Adenocarcinoma↗

O6-methylguanine methyltransferase activity and sensitivity of Japanese tumor cell strains to 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)- 3-nitrosourea hydrochloride.

Using 40 tumor cell strains derived from various organs of Japanese tumor patients and also 12 normal cell strains, we have measured the activity of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MT), which can repair O6-methylguanine produced in DNA by alkylating agents. Then, the lethal sensitivities of the strains to the anti-tumor drug 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-)2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU) were measured. The MT activity was assayed by measuring the 3H radioactivity transferred from the substrate DNA containing [methyl-3H]-O6-methylguanine to acceptor molecules in the cell extracts. Extracts from the majority of tumor strains and all normal cell strains contained substantial MT activity of varying degree, while the extracts of 6 tumor strains showed virtually undetectable MT activity. Hence these 6 strains were assigned as Mer-, the phenotype which is characterized by the inability to repair O6-methylguanine in DNA due to the lack of MT. The Mer- tumor strains were much more sensitive to ACNU than the rest of Mer+ strains, as measured by colony-forming ability. Furthermore, with all the tumor and normal strains tested, a good correlation was observed between MT activity and cellular resistance to ACNU. These results indicate that the frequency of Mer- strain is about 15% among Japanese tumor cell strains so far analyzed, and further suggest that MT may be the only system able to repair lethal DNA damage induced by ACNU.

Cell Survival↗

[Complete remission of advanced renal cell carcinoma by chemotherapy and surgical treatment: a case report].

A rare case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma which represented complete remission by chemotherapy and surgical treatment is presented. A 59-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of general fatigue, weight loss and appetite loss. The diagnosis of right renal tumor metastasized to both lungs and extending into the inferior vena cava was made by radiographic findings. Because of very poor general condition the first choice of treatment was chemotherapy with cisdichlorodiamine platinum, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil) (UFT), and OK432. Five months after the beginning of chemotherapy both lung coin lesions disappeared completely, and radical nephrectomy including venacavotomy and tumor thrombectomy was performed. At present, 6 months after the radical nephrectomy, she is free from the disease and complete remission has been obtained by oral administration of 400 mg/day UFT and 5.0 KE OK432 intracutaneous injection every week.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

[Two cases of multilocular renal cell carcinoma].

Two cases of multilocular cyst of the kidney associated with clear cell carcinoma are described. Only 15 cases of multilocular cystic carcinoma of the kidney have been reported in the English literature including 6 Japanese cases. Their preoperative diagnosis is very difficult and nephrectomy is the only choice of treatment in many cases. The histopathogenesis of the multilocular cyst is reviewed.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Corneal test as a reliable method for detection of the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction in mice.

Antigen solution could be injected into the cornea of sensitized mice using a fine needle and a stereoscopic dissecting microscope. The resulting corneal reaction was shown to be a reliable method in the detection and estimation of delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice that had been immunized with a water-in-oil emulsion containing an ovalbumin and a cell wall adjuvant. Unlike the delayed skin reaction in the ear lobe, this corneal reaction was not affected by a coexisting Arthus reaction.

Animals↗

Malignancy and differentiation of neoplastic epithelial cells of thymoma.

Fifteen fetal thymuses and 100 thymomas were examined concerning the degree of differentiation of thymic epithelial cells by light and electron microscopy. The following results were obtained. The embryologic process of the fetal thymus was categorized into four stages (8, 12, 15, and 17 weeks or more of gestation) based on the morphological features of epithelial cells and the maturity of thymic tissues. Thymomas were classified into the undifferentiated, and poorly, moderately, and well-differentiated types by their morphological features in comparison with the fetal thymuses. The incidences of the respective types in the 100 thymomas were 5, 16, 68, and 11 cases. The moderately differentiated type was divided into three subtypes; namely, polygonal cell (49 cases), clear cell (6), and spindle cell type (13). The degree of differentiation of the thymomatous epithelial cells showed strong correlations with both the invasiveness and the prognosis of the thymoma. The ratios of invasive thymomas were 36, 47, 25, and 100% for the well-differentiated, moderately-differentiated, poorly-differentiated, and undifferentiated types, respectively. The 10-year survival rates were 87.5, 62.5, 46.9 and 0% for the well-differentiated, moderately-differentiated, poorly-differentiated, and undifferentiated thymomas.

Adolescent↗

3-Methylcholanthrene-induced ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity in alveolar type II cells of rabbit lung.

Lungs of 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rabbits and those of untreated rabbits were digested with protease, and the cells were separated into an alveolar type II cell-rich fraction and a Clara cell-rich fraction by the use of counter-flow centrifugal elutriation. Drug oxidation activities of the cell homogenate of each fraction were examined. Marked elevation of ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity was found mainly in the cell homogenate of the alveolar type II cell-rich fraction after 3-methylcholanthrene treatment. The activity increased 6-fold with the drug treatment. Coumarin hydroxylase activity was found mainly in the cell homogenates of the Clara cell-rich fraction of the 3-methylcholanthrene-treated and untreated rabbits. The activity increased 3.5-fold with the drug treatment.

Animals↗

Localization of actin during differentiation of the ameloblast, its related epithelial cells and odontoblasts in the rat incisor using NBD-phallacidin.

Using NBD-phallacidin, which specifically binds to F-actin, we investigated changes in the localization of actin during the differentiation of ameloblasts, related epithelial cells and odontoblasts in rat incisors. In cryosections treated with NBD-phallacidin, intense fluorescence was observed in undifferentiated epithelial cells in the apical loop and at the proximal extremity of undifferentiated inner enamel epithelial cells. During differentiation, the distal extremity began to exhibit strong fluorescence. In cross-sections of secretory ameloblasts, the fluorescence took the form of polygons of uniform intensity at the proximal end, and of rectangles of non-uniform intensity at the distal end. At the distal end, the fluorescence was more intense at right angles to the long axis of the incisor. At the distal end, this pattern was established just before the appearance of the enamel layer. These patterns were maintained during the secretory stage of ameloblasts. The location, pattern and time of appearance of these sites were identical to those of the terminal webs in ameloblasts. NBD-phallacidin weakly labelled the peripheral cytoplasm of the cell body of ameloblasts, and also labelled Tomes' process. The cells forming the stratum intermedium were mainly labelled at their periphery (i.e. forming larger polygons), while the overlying epithelial cells exhibited labelling throughout their cytoplasm. Except for the terminal webs, the cell bodies of odontoblasts were weakly labelled throughout the period of differentiation. Young odontoblasts secreting predentin were first labelled on the terminal web, with the fluorescence becoming gradually more intense as the thickness of the dentin increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Actins↗

Effects of glycerol on 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide induced pulmonary tumorigenesis in ddY mice.

The effects of glycerol administration on pulmonary tumorigenesis induced by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) were examined in male ddY mice, that were given 5% glycerol solution instead of drinking water after a subcutaneous injection of 4NQO. The incidence of pulmonary tumor-bearing mice and the mean number of induced tumors per mouse were significantly enhanced in mice given glycerol after 4NQO treatment, compared with mice given 4NQO alone. The results demonstrate effects including that of promotion by glycerol in 4NQO-induced pulmonary tumorigenesis.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗

4-Nitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced pulmonary endocrine cell hyperplasia in Syrian golden hamster.

The tumorigenic effects of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) on the hamster lung were examined by light and electron microscopy. The hamsters received three subcutaneous injections of 4NQO at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight at weekly intervals, and were sacrificed at 20, 25, and 30 weeks after the first injection. Hyperplastic endocrine cell lesions were consistently demonstrated in the airway from the lobar bronchi to the bronchiolo-alveolar junctional area by serial sectioning of lung tissue slices of all the treated animals. The hyperplastic lesions contained argyrophilic cells and showed weakly positive immunoreactivity to neuron-specific enolase. Ultrastructurally, some of the cells contained small cored dense granules.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗

A simple one-step hemolytic assay of the first component of human complement (C1) with polyethylene glycol treated human serum: details of the assay procedures and its application to the C1 activation study.

C1 was removed from human serum by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation and the supernatant (C1 deficient serum, C1D) was used for assay of C1 hemolytic activity (C1D method). Serum concentration of PEG 6,000 ranging from 3.5-4% was determined to be suitable for preparation of C1D, but C1D prepared by PEG 4,000 were proved unsatisfactory for use. Oxidation of C1D by iodine treatment increased C1 activity by two-fold. The C1D method was comparable in sensitivity to the conventional method, and the correlation between the 2 methods was good (r = 0.94). The C1D method was shown to be a useful tool for the study of C1 activation, since the method specifically measured C1, but not C1 activity. A half-life (T1/2) of C1 activity in fluid phase at 37 degrees C was 20 min under physiologic conditions.

Complement Activation↗

[Influence of exercise training on left ventricular performance investigated by two-dimensional echocardiography].

The influence of exercise training on left ventricular performance was investigated by exercise two-dimensional echocardiography in 12 top-ranking Japanese volleyball players and 10 untrained subjects. Left ventricular wall thickness and dimension were greater in the athletes than in the nonathletes. The left ventricular wall thickness-internal radius ratio, however, was nearly the same in both groups. At rest, heart rate, the stroke area index, % fractional area and the cardiac index were significantly lower in the athletes than in the nonathletes. During exercise, heart rate was slower in the athletes at every exercise stress stage. The stroke area index, % fractional area and the cardiac index increased linearly in the athletes, although these indices of the nonathletes reached a plateau at the moderate exercise stage. The double product at the last stage was greater in the athletes than in the nonathletes. Both groups did not differ as to segmental fractional area change of left ventricular contraction at rest and during exercise. Serum norepinephrine concentration was significantly lower in the athletes than in the nonathletes at rest. After exercise, however, the difference between the two groups was not apparent. It is suspected that exercise training increased the exercise capacity due to an increase in the left ventricular systolic function reserve, the increment of cardiac VO2 max, and the change of blood flow distribution, and generalized aerobic metabolism in various organs.

Adult↗

[Left ventricular systolic performance during exercise in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

The clinical profiles in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who had exercise-induced deterioration in systolic performance of the left ventricle (LV) were investigated using exercise echocardiography. The materials consisted of 32 patients, which who categorized in two groups according to the extent of % shortening fraction of the LV (% SF) at the peak exercise; 21 whose % SF was increased (group I: from 40.9 +/- 7.2% at rest to 44.2 +/- 8.0% at the peak exercise) and 11 whose % SF was decreased (group II: from 40.8 +/- 7.3% to 34.8 +/- 6.9%). There were no significant differences between these two groups as to the resting echocardiographic data or the prevalence of pressure gradient in the LV outflow tract. The frequency of symptoms, such as chest pain and exertional dyspnea, was higher in the group II (73%) than in the group I (38%). The time of exercise tolerance was significantly shorter in group II than in group I (I: 9.2 +/- 1.9 min., II: 7.4 +/- 2.6 min., p less than 0.05). Five patients (45%) in group II and four (19%) in group I developed at least 2 mm ST segment depression during exercise electrocardiography. Twenty-four hour ambulatory ECG monitoring showed a high prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias in group II. Seven (78%) of nine patients in group II and five (28%) of 18 in group I had abnormal 201T1 myocardial scintigrams. Left ventricular ejection fraction was not significantly different between the two groups, but the end-diastolic pressure was higher in group II (19 +/- 6 mmHg) than in group I (15 +/- 4 mmHg). All patients who underwent coronary arteriography had no significant stenosis. Thus, there are significant differences in the clinical features between the two groups of patients who had reciprocal LV responses during exercise. These findings should be considered in the management of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Adult↗

[A case of early laryngeal cancer observed after surgery for lung cancer].

A 56-year-old man, a heavy cigarette smoker, had his left upper lobe resected for lung cancer. Seventeen months later, he was diagnosed as early laryngeal cancer by bronchofiberscopy. In this case, postoperative follow-up study with septum cytology was extremely effective. He underwent radiation therapy for the laryngeal cancer. Today, three and a half years later, no signs or symptoms of any cancer can be found. Cases of preceding lung cancer in multiple primary cancer patients having lung and laryngeal cancer are very rare in the literature. All of them have been heavy cigarette smokers and majority of them men.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Morphological characterization of transformed colonies in rat tracheal epithelial cell cultures exposed to carcinogen.

The purpose of the studies described in this and the accompanying paper (D.J. Fitzgerald et al., Cancer Res., 46:4642-4649, 1986) was to define the transformed colonies of the rat tracheal epithelial cell transformation system (see P. Nettesheim and J.C. Barrett, CRC Crit. Rev. Toxicol., 12: 215-239, 1984) in terms of differentiation and growth characteristics. Exposure of low-density primary rat tracheal epithelial cell cultures to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine results in the development of growth-altered colonies of different sizes and morphologies, which can be readily scored 5 wk after treatment. These colonies were classified into four morphological types (I to IV) based on their light microscopic and ultrastructural features. Colonies designated as types I and II were small, had a low cell density, and were composed principally of large, pale-staining (Giemsa) flattened cells with a low nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio. Examination of the fine structure of these colonies revealed a monolayer of extremely attenuated cells containing well-developed Golgi complexes, endoplasmic reticulum, numerous secondary lysosomes, but few tonofilaments and desmosomes. Colonies of types III and IV were large, basophilic (Giemsa), high-density colonies, consisting primarily of closely packed, small, round cells with high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio. Analysis of the fine structure of these colonies revealed two to four stratified layers of poorly differentiated cells and cells having features of keratinocyte differentiation, as evidence by abundant tonofilament bundles, well-developed desmosomes, and occasional keratohyaline granules. Differential cell counts were carried out at the ultrastructural level on pooled cells from each colony type (except type I); approximately 90% of the cells from type II colonies were large, electron-lucent cells, while this cell type comprised only 20 to 30% of the cells of colonies of types III and IV. The predominant cell type (approximately 60%) in colonies of types III and IV showed clear signs of keratinocyte differentiation. Type IV colonies contained a significantly larger proportion (greater than 20%) of small, poorly differentiated cells than type III (6%) and type II (1%) colonies. A combined autoradiographic and ultrastructural study revealed that the small, poorly differentiated cells were most active in synthesizing DNA and had a labeling index of 60%. Other cell types were far less frequently labeled, particularly the large, electron-lucent cells which had a labeling index of only 10%. Morphometric measurements on fixed and stained colonies disclosed that each colony type differs markedly in cell population size.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗