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Biomedical subjects

H Ohta

Publications and source records attributed to H Ohta.

At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources

Measurement of immunoreactive prothrombin, des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin, and vitamin K in human liver tissues: overproduction of immunoreactive prothrombin in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin is an abnormal prothrombin which increases in the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. To clarify the process of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin synthesis, immunoreactive prothrombin, des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin, and vitamin K (phylloquinone and menaquinone) concentrations were determined in human liver tissue, including hepatocellular carcinoma. In the patients with elevated plasma des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin levels, both immunoreactive prothrombin and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin significantly increased in hepatoma tissues compared with non-cancerous liver tissue. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed in the endogenous vitamin K (K1, MK-4, MK7) concentrations between hepatoma and noncancerous portions, in either the cases with or without increase of plasma des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin. These data strongly suggested that in the patients with an increase of plasma des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin, overproduction of prothrombin in hepatoma plays in important role in the synthesis of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin.

Analysis of Variance↗

[Mental disorders of Japanese people in western Europe].

As the number of Japanese going abroad has increased in recent years, so has there been an increase in the number of Japanese who seek for help at the Consulate of Japan due to problems relating to mental disorders. Three Consulates in Europe (London, Madrid, Paris), that had experience dealing with mental disorder cases, which had been brought for various reasons, were visited in order to investigate the state of the situation among Japanese with mental disorders in Europe. The following findings were obtained: 1. The number of mental disorder cases treated by the Consulates of Japan in Europe from April 1988 to March 1989 was 37 out of the total 147 in the whole world or 25%. 2. Among them were 7 cases in Great Britain (London), 5 cases in Spain (Madrid), and 11 cases in France (Paris), all of which required tremendous effort to resolve. 3. Among possible additional measures that are needed are support by local Japanese Organizations, development of a system of medical care manned by Japanese physicians on a rotation basis, a medical escort system for returning patients to Japan, overseas insurance and telephone counseling as well as measures to prevent manifestation of mental disorders overseas.

Adult↗

[Experimental study on maturational therapy of osteosarcoma cell].

We investigated the differentiation-inducing effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dBc AMP) on several cultured osteosarcoma cell lines (DUNN, MOLONEY, OST, FBJ). 1. Cell growth rates of all the osteosarcoma cell lines were reduced by 3mM dBc AMP. 2. Both alkaline phosphatase activity and 45Ca2(+)-uptake were promoted by 3mM dBc AMP. 3. There was, in each cell line except for the OST cells, a marked enlargement of the cell processes under the light microscopic observation. At the electron microscopic level, there were also many findings indicating an increase in cell functions. These results suggest that the differentiation may be induced by cAMP in osteosarcoma cells, and that the differentiation therapy by cAMP-related drugs is promising for a clinical application.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Scintigraphic evaluation of aggressive fibromatosis.

Despite its benign microscopic appearance, aggressive fibromatosis has potential to recur and infiltrate neighboring tissues. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the exact extent before therapy. In the present study, 11 cases of aggressive fibromatosis were examined scintigraphically using [99mTc(V)]dimercaptosuccinic acid (11 cases) and 67Ga-citrate (7 cases). Technetium-99m-(V)-dimercaptosuccinic acid demonstrated all lesions, while 67Ga-citrate detected 57% of the cases.

Adult↗

[Effect of danazol on bone mineral content and bone metabolism in patients with endometriosis].

Danazol, which is commonly employed in the treatment of endometriosis creates a low estrogen and high androgen condition by suppressing ovarian steroidogenesis. When a reproductive-aged woman suddenly develops low estrogen, even if it is reversible, it is possible that it can have some effect on her bone mineral content and there is the danger that this might constitute a risk factor in the development of postmenopausal bone metabolism. In 12 cases of endometriosis (average age 42.2) 400 mg/day Danazol was given for 4 months to determine if a low estrogen and high androgen condition actually continued. The effect on the bone metabolism which provides a background to metacarpal bone mineral content was also examined in comparison with before and after seven months' administration. As a result, after Danazol administration, estradiol showed a tendency to decrease and dehydroepiandrosterone showed a tendency to increase although no significant change in the estrogen and androgen level was recognized. There was also no change on the bone mineral content and there was no significant change in bone metabolism, calcitonin excepted. Therefore, from the results of calcitonin evaluation, 400mg/day Danazol administered for 4 months does not seem to be absorbed by bone and at least appears not to have any significance as a bone metabolism risk factor.

Adult↗

[Bone mineral loss due to premenopausal oophorectomy assessed by dual photon absorptiometry].

Although it has been reported that bone mineral loss due to oophorectomy (OPX) occurs mainly in the axial bone, especially in the trabecular bone, there have been no reports on the use of this method for simultaneous total body calcium measurement. Furthermore, the occurrence of bone mineral loss in regional bone mineral density (BMD) after OPX has not been clarified. We investigated whether there is a decrease in regional BMD after OPX, and whether there are regional differences in bone mineral loss following OPX. The BMD was measured by dual photon absorptiometry in 21 premenopausal oophorectomized subjects (mean age: 46.8 +/- 4.0 yr, mean duration after OPX: 48.0 +/- 40.0 months) and 19 age- and body size-matched females. In OPX subjects, the spinal BMD was significantly lower (corresponding to 87.0 +/- 2.4% of control) than those of the cranium, arms and legs (92.1 +/- 2.6, 97.2 +/- 1.2, 95.4 +/- 1.6% respectively). Furthermore the oophorectomized subjects were divided into three groups according to duration after OPX as follows; within 1 (n = 7), 2-5 (n = 7) and over 6 years (n = 7). The spinal BMD had already tended to decrease in the within 1 year group and significantly decreased in the over-6-year group. On the other hand, there were no differences in the within 1 year group in arm and leg BMD compared with the control. However, in the over-6-year group they were significantly decreased. These results suggest that bone mineral loss in oophorectomized subjects occurs mainly in spinal bone, and the degree of bone mineral loss might be different in regional bone.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

[A clinical study of 76 cases in carcinoma of the colon and rectum with metastasis to the peri-aortic lymph nodes. With particular reference to the skip metastasis in carcinoma of the sigmoid colon to the peri-aortic lymph nodes].

The therapeutic result by tumorous site were evaluated in 76 cases of carcinoma of the colon and rectum with the confirmed presence of metastasis to the peri-aortic lymph nodes. The results revealed that significant good out-comes were noted in the relatively non-curative cases of carcinoma of the sigmoid colon, with particularly good prognosis being found in six cases with skip metastasis. There was a 26.1% (6/23) incidence of the skip metastasis in carcinoma of the sigmoid colon with the peri-aortic lymph nodes metastasis. We confirmed two lymphatic routes of the skip metastasis; one route was from the lymph nodes near the tumor to the para-aortic lymph nodes directly, and the other was from the lymph nodes near the tumor to the lymph nodes at the aortic diffract directly and finally to the para-aortic lymph nodes. In the all six cases, the peri-aortic lymph nodes metastasis occurred only in inferior site of the inferior mesenteric artery. The average number of the peri-aortic lymph nodes metastasis were as few as 1.7 in these cases. The prognosis was favorable with three of the six cases scoring a three-year survival and included a five-year survival case.

Adult↗

Simple immunoassays for semiquantitative determination of calmodulin (CaM) and anti-CaM. Applications to affinity column chromatography of anti-CaM antibodies and estimation of CaM in synaptosomal membranes from rat cerebral cortex.

Dot-immunobinding assay for anti-calmodulin (CaM), and immunoblot assay for CaM have become feasible by proper choice of a fixative, i.e., formaldehyde vapor. The protocol for these simple and convenient immunological procedures is presented. Dot-immunobinding assay could be accomplished in 3 h, and immunoblot assay in 8 h. Activities of anti-CaM antibodies in fractions eluted from CaM affinity column were monitored by immunobinding assay. Semiquantitative immunoblot analysis was used to estimate CaM present in various fractions during preparation of EGTA-washed lysed synaptosomal membranes from rat cerebral cortex. CaM content in the final preparation was estimated at lower than 3 micrograms/mg of membrane protein.

Animals↗

Selective low level of protein kinase C isozyme in a tumor promoter-dependent mouse leukemia cell line.

It was found that the activity of protein kinase C in the tumor promoter-dependent cell line (A65T) was significantly lower than that in the independent cell line (A65IND) which was mutated from the dependent cell line. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between these cell lines with regard to cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity. It was found that the maximal binding capacity of [20-3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate of the tumor promoter-dependent cells is lower than that of the independent cells with similar affinities of the two cell lines. Moreover, we found that the level of immunoreactive antigen with monoclonal antibody for type III of protein kinase C in A65T cells was significantly lower than that in the A65IND cells. Thus, this selective lower level of type III of protein kinase C in A65T cells, as compared with A65IND cells means that this difference may be linked to its tumor promoter-dependent cell proliferation.

Animals↗

Putative precursors of endothelin have less vasoconstrictor activity in vitro but a potent pressor effect in vivo.

Endothelin (ET-21) induced a sustained contraction of rat thoracic aortae (EC50 = 2.65 x 10(-10) M) in vitro, and caused a potent pressor effect in vivo after intravenous administration to rats. In contrast, the precursor deduced from porcine cDNA coding ET-21 (pET-39) had 100-fold less contractile activity in vitro (EC50 = 3.26 x 10(-8) M), and so did the precursor from human cDNA (hET-38) (EC50 = 1.48 x 10(-8) M). However, both pET-39 and hET-38 caused almost the same dose-dependent pressor effects as ET-21 in vivo. After intravenous bolus injection at 1 nmol/kg, ET-21 caused an initial transient drop of the arterial pressure, and then induced a gradual pressor effect. On the other hand, hET-38 caused only a gradual rise of the arterial pressure. There may be different mechanism(s) for ET-21 and hET-38 which induce changes in the arterial pressure in vivo.

Angiotensin II↗

Arthroscopic versus open synovectomy in the rheumatoid knee.

We report the clinical and radiological results after arthroscopic synovectomy (41 knees) and open capsulosynovectomy (26 knees) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, with an average follow-up of more than ten years. The clinical outcome was much the same in both groups, but there was gradual deterioration, especially after eight years. Radiological changes of osteoarthritis were worse in the knees treated by open capsulosynovectomy compared with the arthroscopic group. Arthroscopic synovectomy has many advantages and we believe that it is better than open capsulosynovectomy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis of the knee.

Adolescent↗

Absence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in suction blister fluids and stratum corneum from patients with psoriasis.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is a cytokine with multiple biological properties, particularly proinflammatory, apart from the induction of tumor necrosis. In order to elucidate the role of TNF-alpha in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, we have carried out bioassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for TNF-alpha in suction blister fluids and horny tissue extracts from psoriatic skin. Although bioassay showed some activities in the suction blister fluids and horny tissue extracts, there were no significant differences between the levels of activities from normal and psoriatic skin. They were at the background level and pretreatment of the samples with anti-TNF-alpha antiserum failed to abrogate the activities. ELISA confirmed the absence of TNF-alpha. Therefore, the present study could not verify that TNF-alpha plays a major role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Adolescent↗

Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma utilizing lymphokine-activated killer cells and interleukin-2.

This paper is a report on adoptive immunotherapy involving consecutive injections of recombinant interleukin-2 and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Peripheral blood lymphocytes, obtained by leukopheresis, acted as the activated killer cells with a co culture of recombinant interleukin-2 in the culture system. After 4 days, the activated killer cells were returned into the patients' bodies intra-arterially and intravenously. No complete remissions or partial remissions have resulted, although five of the seven patients showed a significant decrease in their serum alpha-fetoprotein levels after treatment. In addition, one case showed a patent portal truncus while another indicate the appearance of central necrosis on the computerized tomograph scan. Although the period of observation was short, there were no recurrences after the combination therapy of tumor resection and LAK adoptive immunotherapy. It might be difficult to treat hepatocellular carcinoma with adoptive immunotherapy alone, but there is some possibility of conducting therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma after removing the majority of the tumor cells by surgical resection and transcatheter arterial embolization therapy. This conclusion indicates, at least theoretically, that adoptive immunotherapy will be suitable in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma as one of the combination therapies with the two major forms of treatment mentioned above.

Adult↗

SPECT images using 99mTc(V)-DMS in lung metastasis of osteosarcoma.

Color images of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using technetium-99m(V) dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc(V)-DMS) were demonstrated in a patient with lung metastases from osteosarcoma. SPECT image using 99mTc(V)-DMS could be useful for the detection of lung metastasis from osteosarcoma.

Adult↗

Gallium-67 SPECT image in gastric lymphoma.

Gastric non-Hodgkin lymphoma was unexpectedly detected by gallium-67 scanning in initial staging of the lesions. Single photon emission computed tomography was very useful in determining the accumulation site and indicating further appropriate examinations.

Citrates↗

Uptake of cadmium and metallothionein by rat everted intestinal sacs.

The gastrointestinal uptake and transport of cadmium (Cd) and the role of metallothionein (MT) were studied in everted sacs of rat intestine (ESRI). When ESRI were incubated for 30 min in a medium containing various Cd concentrations (1-5 x 10(-4) M) as CdCl2, Cd-cysteine (Cd-Cyst) or rat liver Cd-MT-II (Cd-MT), a dose-dependent tissue uptake of Cd was observed. In ESRI incubated with Cd-MT, total Cd uptake was lower than that of CdCl2 (25% of CdCl2). Fractionation of the tissue showed that about 80% of Cd in the tissue was recovered in the particulate fraction after CdCl2 and Cd-Cyst incubation, while that after Cd-MT incubation was present mainly in the cytosol fraction (about 80%). Most of the Cd in the cytosol fraction of Cd-MT-incubated ESRI was associated with a 10,000 molecular weight protein on Sephadex G-75 column fractionation. Similar results were obtained after incubation of ESRI from Zn-pretreated rats with 109CdCl2 solution. In addition to the Cd-MT peak, there was a small peak of Cd associated with a high molecular weight fraction. Only a small percentage of Cd was leaked to serosal fluid in the everted sacs incubated at a low concentration of CdCl2 (0.8%) but this leakage of cadmium was increased at higher concentration and was higher after incubation with Cd-MT. The results suggest that the uptake of Cd from CdCl2 and Cd-MT is different. Although Cd-MT was taken up intact by everted sacs, the uptake was slow as compared to Cd salts. The intracellular presence of MT had little effect on the uptake of CdCl2 but the Cd was sequestered by MT in the intestine.

Animals↗

ESR dating of elephant teeth and radiation dose rate estimation in soil.

Chemical analysis of 238U, 232Th and 40K in the dentine as well as enamel of elephant tooth fossil has been carried out in order to estimate the internal absorbed dose rate of the specimens, which was estimated to be (39 +/- 4) mrad/y on the assumption of early uptake model of radionuclides. The external radiation dose rate in the soil including the contribution from cosmic rays was also estimated to be (175 +/- 18) mrad/y with the help of gamma-ray spectroscopic techniques of the soil samples in which the specimens were buried. The 60Co gamma-ray equivalent accumulated dose of (2 +/- 0.2) x 10(4) rad for the tooth enamel gave "ESR age" of (9 +/- 2) x 10(4) y, which falls in the geologically estimated range between 3 x 10(4) and 30 x 10(4) y before the present.

Animals↗