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Biomedical subjects

H Sakurai

Publications and source records attributed to H Sakurai.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

The effect of overall treatment time of radiation therapy on local control of T1-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the glottis.

From 1975 to 1990, 72 patients with T1 glottic cancer, excluding a verrucous type of carcinoma, were treated with radiation therapy (RT). All treatments were given with a standard fractionation of 2 Gy per day. The total dose to the tumor ranged from 60 to 70 Gy. Six patients received a split-course RT. The overall local control rate was 87% at 5 years. Forty-one patients who completed RT in 45 days or less had a 5-year local control rate of 95%. Sixteen patients who completed a treatment course in 46 to 49 days had a local control rate of 81%. Fifteen patients with a treatment course of more than 50 days had a local control rate of 73%. There was a statistically significant difference in local control rates among the three groups (P<.05). The split-course RT group had a 5-year local control rate of 50%; that rate was statistically significantly inferior to that of the continuous course group (P<.001). Multivariate analysis also showed that an interruption of the treatment course was an important parameter in relation to the local control. The prolongation of standard RT schedules adversely affected local control of T1 glottic carcinoma and, therefore, should be avoided whenever possible.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1996

Analysis of the galactose signal transduction pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: interaction between Gal3p and Gal80p.

The GAL3 gene plays a critical role in galactose induction of the GAL genes that encode galactose- metabolizing enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Defects in GAL3 result in a long delay in GAL gene induction, and overproduction of Gal3p causes constitutive expression of GAL. Here we demonstrate that concomitant overproduction of the negative regulator, Gal80p, and Gal3p suppresses this constitutive GAL expression. This interplay between Gal80p and Gal3p is direct, as tagged Gal3p coimmunoprecipitated with Gal80p. The amount of coprecipitated Gal80p increased when GAL80 yeast cells were grown in the presence of galactose. When both GAL80 and GAL3 were overexpressed, the amount of coprecipitated Gal80p was not affected by galactose. Tagged gal3 mutant proteins bound to purified Gal80p, but only poorly in comparison with the wild type, suggesting that formation of the Gal80p-Gal3p complex depends on the normal function of Gal3p. Gal3p appeared larger in Western blots (immunoblots) than predicted by the published nucleic acid sequence. Reexamination of the DNA sequence of GAL3 revealed several mistakes, including an extension at the 3' end of another predicted 97 amino acids.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Immunohistological analysis of tumour growth factor beta 1 expression in normal and inflamed salivary glands.

AIM: To determine whether transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) has a pathogenetic role in disease of the salivary glands. METHODS: An indirect immunohistochemical technique was used to analyse TGF-beta 1 expression in six specimens of normal salivary gland and 23 surgical specimens. RESULTS: TGF-beta 1 was strongly expressed in the ductal epithelial cells of normal salivary gland tissues (six of six cases) and in inflammatory conditions (eight of 11 cases). In contrast, TGF-beta 1 was not detectable in ductal epithelial cells expressing HLA-DR around infiltrating CD4+ CD45RO+ activated T cells, in the salivary gland tissue of patients with Sjögren's syndrome. CONCLUSION: Because TGF-beta 1 has an essential role in the mucosal immunity of salivary glands, abnormal expression of this cytokine must be regarded as a candidate in the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Gonadotrope responsiveness in orchidectomized sheep: effect of duration of a simulated follicular phase.

The effect of duration of a simulated follicular phase on gonadotrope responsiveness was assessed in orchidectomized sheep (wethers). The oestrogenic and hypothalamic inputs characteristic of the ovine follicular phase were simulated by continuous infusion of oestradiol (5 micrograms h-1 in 10% (v/v) ethanol saline) and circhoral delivery of GnRH (200 ng per hourly pulse) for 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 or 96 h (n = 6 wethers per group). Responsiveness increased (P < 0.05) with increasing duration of simulated follicular phase. In a second experiment, responsiveness was assessed 96 h after initiation of infusion of oestradiol in wethers receiving hourly pulses of GnRH or saline. Concurrent administration of GnRH reduced (P < 0.05) the magnitude of the oestradiol-induced increase in gonadotrope responsiveness. In a companion study, anterior pituitary tissue was collected 96 h after the start of infusion of oestradiol and circhoral delivery of GnRH or saline. Pituitary stores of LH and tissue concentrations of GnRH receptor and mRNA encoding the GnRH receptor were increased (P < 0.05) by oestradiol infusion. The magnitude of these oestradiol-induced responses was not affected (P > 0.05) by concurrent GnRH treatment. Tissue concentrations of FSH and mRNA encoding the FSH beta subunit were decreased (P < 0.05) by oestradiol infusion. This suppressive effect of oestradiol was not reversed by GnRH. These results indicate that oestradiol stimulation, but not concurrent delivery of GnRH, is essential for full expression of surge-like secretion of LH. In addition, the oestradiol-induced increase in gonadotrope responsiveness during the simulated follicular phase is sustained throughout the period of oestradiol delivery.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Effectiveness of probucol in preventing restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Lipid lowering therapies were employed to prevent restenosis following elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). The effect of probucol was compared to that of Pravastatin in 141 coronary atherosclerosis patients. Probucol (750 mg/day) was administered for at least 30 days prior to PTCA (34 patients, group P-1) or less than 14 days prior to PTCA (27 patients, group P-2). Pravastatin (10 mg/day) was administered for at least 30 days prior to PTCA (38 patients, group V-1) or less than 14 days prior to PTCA (42 patients, group V-2). In group P-1, the patient restenosis rate was 17.6% and lesion restenosis rate was 14%. These rates were significantly lower than those of group V-1, which were 44.7% and 40.4% respectively (p < 0.05). The respective values were 48.1% and 51.8% in group P-2 (p < 0.05, vs group P-1) and 35.7% and 34% (p < 0.05, vs group P-1) in group V-2. Probucol seems to work, not only by lowering cholesterol but also by its antioxidative properties when administered for a sufficient period prior to PTCA.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1996

Marked arteriosclerosis of the descending aorta in a teenager with interruption of the aorta.

Marked arteriosclerosis localized to the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta was observed in a 19-year-old girl with interruption of the aorta (type A) and a ventricular septal defect. She died from rupture of saccular aneurysm of the pulmonary trunk. The descending thoracic and abdominal aorta showed marked thrombogenic, lamellar thickening of the intima. In contrast, no significant arteriosclerosis was detected in the ascending aorta. Several factors including diffuse sludging of blood, mural thrombosis and hemodynamic changes, in close association with polycythemia, are hypothesized to be causative factors in the development of this lesion.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Factors associated with male workers' participation in regular physical activity.

This study was conducted to clarify the factors associated with workers' regular physical activity in a Japanese company. The subjects were 515 male employees who responded to a questionnaire given to all male workers (n = 761) in a manufacturing company in central Japan. The effective response rate was 67.6%. According to multiple linear regression analysis using the stepwise method as the model-selection method, significant factors associated with workers' regular physical activity were self efficacy, current membership in a sports club, colleague support, perceived barriers to exercise, perceived benefits of exercise, and leisure time. Intervention to increase self efficacy for exercise and to diminish perceived barriers to exercising, together with social support, were thought to be a good potential strategy for increasing the proportion of workers participating in regular physical activity. Intervention programs to increase self efficacy should therefore be developed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Testes function and feedlot performance of bulls actively immunized against gonadotropin-releasing hormone: effect of age at immunization.

Testes function, feedlot performance, and carcass traits were evaluated in bulls actively immunized against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) at different ages. Bull calves were randomly assigned to one of seven treatment groups (n = 15 calves/group). Calves were unimmunized (Group 1), immunized at 1.5, 4, 7, or 12 mo of age with a GnRH-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) conjugate (Groups 2 to 5, respectively), or castrated at 4 mo of age (Groups 6 and 7). Immunized bulls did not receive a secondary, or booster, immunization. Calves in group 6 received Synovex-C at castration and Synovex-S at weaning and feedlot entry. Anti-GnRH titer was evident at slaughter in all immunized bulls. However, the final immune response of bulls immunized at 1.5 mo was significantly lower than the response of bulls immunized at later stages of development. Final scrotal circumference and testis weight in bulls immunized at 4, 7, or 12 mo of age were significantly reduced relative to unimmunized bulls. The final live weight, feedlot gain, and carcass weight of immunized and unimmunized bulls did not differ (P > .05) from the same parameters in steers implanted with Synovex. Longissimus muscle area, marbling score, and backfat thickness did not differ between immunized and unimmunized bulls. The sex class score of the carcasses of immunized bulls did not differ from the score of steer carcasses. In contrast, a significantly higher proportion of carcasses from unimmunized bulls graded as bullock carcasses. Taken together, these data indicate that a single immunization against GnRH at 4 to 12 mo of age results in significant attenuation of testicular growth in bulls. These data also demonstrate that immunization against GnRH reduces the masculinity of carcasses from bulls, but does not affect feedlot performance, longissimus muscle area, marbling score, or backfat thickness. These results suggest that single immunization with the GnRH-KLH conjugate may have practical utility as a noninvasive alternative to surgical castration in management of beef cattle.

Aging↗
PubMed1996

[Serum sodium imbalance in the bedridden elderly. Part One: Realities and problem of management].

Symptoms and other abnormalities associated with serum sodium imbalance were studied in bedridden elderly and healthy elderly subjects. 1. A significantly higher number of the bedridden elderly suffered from chronic wasting disease. 2. The average serum sodium concentration in bedridden elderly subjects was significantly lower than in healthy subjects, as was the sodium intake and the sodium content in urine, which indicate that the bedridden elderly subjects suffered from chronic sodium deficiency. 3. The bedridden elderly subjects had high levels of plasma PRA and antidiuretic hormone, and their aldosterone levels were low, which indicate that their condition was associated with a decrease in available circulating plasma, hypersecretion of antidiuretic hormone, and a decline in the ability to retain sodium. 4. Measurement of 24-hr creatinine clearance, albumin, and beta 2-microglobulin in urine revealed that bedridden elderly subjects had high levels of renal dysfunction, the result of which may a disturbance in water excretion. Abnormalities in serum sodium levels in the bedridden elderly subjects were related to a chronic deficiency in sodium intake, which reduced their ability to maintain sodium levels and impaired their renal function. Iatrogenic factors are likely to play an important role in the genesis of this condition, and should be taken into account in during management.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[An operative case of bilateral partial anomalous pulmonary venous return using a direct anastomosis between the right atrial appendage and the superior vena cava].

We have experienced a case of bilateral partial anomalous pulmonary venous return without atrial septal defect. Right upper pulmonary vein returned to the superior vena cava and left upper pulmonary vein returned to the left brachiocephalic vein. This type of bilateral partial anomalous pulmonary venous return was extremely rare, and only 4 such cases have been reported in the Japanese literature. The patient, aged 3 years and 11 months, was successfully operated on, using a direct anastomosis between the right atrial appendage and the superior vena cava. This procedure is considered to be advantageous because both this right atriotomy line and suture line avoid injury of the sinus node and the sinuatrial node artery and no foreign material is used. A decrease in postoperative arrhythmia can also be expected from this procedure.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed1996

Expression of four myosin heavy chain genes in developing blood vessels and other smooth muscle organs in rabbits.

At least two smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms (SM1, SM2) and two non-muscle MHC isoforms (NMA, NMB) have been detected in smooth muscles. We used the S-1 nuclease mapping procedure to study the expression of these four types of MHC mRNAs in various rabbit blood vessels, such as the aorta (Ao), pulmonary artery (PA), inferior vena cava (IVC) and ductus arteriosus (DA), and in various rabbit tissues and organs. The results demonstrated that in the blood vessels, the four types of MHC mRNA were expressed during all developmental stages in Ao and PA and that SM2 expression appeared to increase dramatically after birth. Compared to the other fetal vessels, the fetal DA contained considerably higher amounts of the four types of MHC mRNAs. SM2 was more prevalent than SM1 in the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and urinary bladder, which are often stretched and show vigorous contractile activity. SM2 expression in a smooth muscle cell appears to correlate well with the contractile ability and/or activity of the cell. Our data show that among the four types of MHC mRNAs, the expression of SM2 MHC mRNA shows great variation among different organs, blood vessel types and stages of development of Ao and PA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

L-band ESR spectra of copper(II) complexes with CuN4 configurations.

L-band ESR spectrometry has been developed for detecting free radicals or paramagnetic metal ions in intact animals or biological samples which contain much water. Several studies by L-band ESR on free radicals have been reported, but few on paramagnetic elements such as copper(II) or iron(III). We measured L-band ESR spectra of Cu(II) for the first time to investigate the coordination structure around the metal ion in aqueous solution. In X- and L-band ESR, both spectral patterns and parameters have been found to reflect the coordination structure of Cu(II)-polyamine complexes depending on the structures such as square-planar, axially coordinate square-planar, tetrahedral and distorted square-planar (Cu(II) ion is displaced from CuN4 plane). In addition, in L-band ESR, the coordination structures of Cu(II) complexes relate with spectral pattern, ESR parameter (LA-value), stability constants and halfwave potentials in terms of the electron density on Cu(II). Thus, L-band ESR spectrometry was indicated to be useful to know the coordination structure of Cu(II) proteins or enzymes in aqueous solution.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Orally active and long-term acting insulin-mimetic vanadyl complex:bis(picolinato)oxovanadium (IV).

The blood glucose level of rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes has been found to be normalized by administration of vanadyl or vanadate complexes. During our investigations on the development of anti-diabetic vanadyl complexes with various types of coordination mode such as V-O, V-N and V-S, we found that a new bis(picolinato)oxovanadium (IV) complex (VPA) has a strong insulin-mimetic effects as evaluated by an in vitro experiments, in which the inhibition of free fatty acid release in isolated rat adipocytes treated with epinephrine was observed to be similar to that of insulin. VPA was also effective for normalizing the blood glucose level of STZ-induced diabetic rats when given intraperitoneally or orally. The serum glucose level was maintained in the normal range for about 30 days with body weight gain after the end of oral administration of VPA for 14 days. VPA was confirmed to be an orally active and long-term acting insulin-mimetic vanadyl complex to treat insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in rats.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed1995

Missense mutation of the beta-cardiac myosin heavy-chain gene in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs as an autosomal dominant familial disorder or as a sporadic disease without familial involvement. We describe a missense mutation of the beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC) gene, a G to T transversion (741 Gly-->Trp) identified by direct sequencing of exon 20 in four individuals affected with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Three individuals with sporadic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, whose parents are clinically and genetically unaffected, had sequence variations of exon 34 of the alpha-cardiac MHC gene (a C to T transversion, 1658 Asp-->Asp, resulting in FokI site polymorphism), of intron 33 of the alpha-cardiac MHC gene (a G to A and an A to T transversion), and also of intron 14 of the beta-cardiac MHC gene (a C to T transversion in a patient with Noonan syndrome). Including our case, 30 missense mutations of the beta-cardiac MHC gene in 49 families have been reported thus far worldwide. Almost all are located in the region of the gene coding for the globular head of the molecule, and only one mutation was found in both Caucasian and Japanese families. Missense mutations of the beta-cardiac MHC gene in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may therefore differ according to race.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The fat body cell-free system for tissue-specific transcription of plasma protein gene of Bombyx mori.

A nuclear extract was prepared for the larval fat body of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, and a homologous in vitro system was developed for the transcription of major plasma protein gene of B.mori. The gene for SP1, a storage protein of B.mori, and adenovirus 2 major late (AdML) gene were faithfully transcribed under relatively high template concentrations in the nuclear extract prepared from the fat body of female fifth instar larvae. Complete inhibition of gene transcription by a low concentration of alpha-amanitin indicated that the reaction is catalyzed by RNA polymerase II. At low template concentration (0.6 nM) the fat body nuclear extract transcribed the homologous SP1 gene with high efficiency, while AdML gene and larval cuticle protein gene were only barely transcribed in the same extract. The SP1 gene deleted upstream of the TATA box sequence showed little effect on transcription, whereas mutations that destroy TATA sequence totally abolished the gene transcription. These results suggested that the core promoter region of SP1 gene spanning between positions -44 and +16 is essential for the fat body specific transcription in vitro.

Animals↗