Radiation-induced pneumonitis outside the radiation field.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Satoh.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
UNLABELLED: Myocardial imaging with 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) was performed on 35 patients with Parkinson's disease and 24 control subjects to evaluate cardiac sympathetic function in patients with Parkinson's disease, verify this phenomenon and examine whether myocardial MIBG uptake and clearance are correlated with the clinical severity of Parkinson's disease. METHODS: We studied 35 patients with Parkinson's disease and 24 control subjects with other central nervous system diseases. The latter group consisted of 12 subjects with other neurodegenerative disorders (4 with spinocerebellar degeneration, 2 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 3 with progressive supranuclear palsy and 3 with corticobasal degeneration and 12 patients with cerebral infarction (CI), 6 with vascular parkinsonism and 6 without it. Early and delayed images of the anterior view were obtained 15 min and 4 h after injection of 123I-MIBG, respectively. MIBG uptake was quantified by calculating a heart-to-mediastinum count (H/M) ratio. RESULTS: The H/M ratio was markedly reduced in the patients with Parkinson's disease (II to V on the Hoehn and Yahr scale) compared with the control subjects. None of the subjects with neurodegenerative diseases showed a marked decrease in myocardial MIBG uptake nor did any subject with CI. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that, in Parkinson's disease, a reduction in myocardial MIBG uptake is a very common, specific phenomenon that can be used to detect cardiac autonomic dysfunction to diagnose Parkinson's disease, particularly in patients without typical signs and symptoms.
We present two cases of thoracic aortic aneurysms with anomalous origin of the aortic arch branches. One was a 72-year-old female with a ruptured descending thoracic aneurysm and aberrant origin of the right subclavian artery. The other was a 64-year-old male with a saccular distal arch aneurysm and aberrant origin of the left vertebral artery. Preoperative examinations included angiography, computed tomography (CT), three dimensional enhanced CT (3DCT), digital subtraction angiography (DSA), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Understanding the structure of neck vessels is important in deciding where to clamp or to reconstruct in surgical repair of the aortic arch. 3DCT was the most useful examination for this understanding.
Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL, or body-cavity-based lymphoma [BCBL]) is a new subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in which tumor cells locate in the body cavity exclusively. PEL/BCBL is widely accepted as one of the neoplastic complications of AIDS, associated mostly with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8/Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus [KSHV]) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). We established and characterized a PEL cell line named TY-1 from a 47-year-old patient with AIDS. TY-1 exhibits indeterminate immunophenotype, expressing CD45 and CD30 cell surface antigens but not expressing B- or T-cell markers. Cytogenetic analysis revealed the representative karyotype of 50,XYq-,+7,+8,+11,+15. Southern blot analysis demonstrated HHV-8 and EBV genomes in the original tumor cells obtained from the pericardial effusion, while HHV-8 but not EBV was detected in TY-1 using PCR or Southern blot analysis. Tetradecanylphorbol acetate treatment induced some TY-1 cells to proceed to the reproductive phase. This cell line may be an useful tool for research on PEL and HHV-8.
Antibacterial activity of various antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from each hospitals depends on the variety or amount of antibiotics used in each hospital. The antibiotic, which is effective to P. aeruginosa in a certain hospital is not always effective to that in other hospital. The excellent antibiotics in antibacterial activity have low MIC and hard to progress in resistance, and such antibiotics may be effective against P. aeruginosa isolated from any hospitals. Therefore we thought that the antibiotic, which was progress to resistance, would show a great difference in MIC among hospitals, and we investigated MIC and difference of MIC of various antibiotics against P. aeruginosa isolated from six hospitals. Furthermore, we converted the data of MICs and difference of MIC among six hospitals into the score, and tried to estimate antibacterial activity of various antibiotics by using those scores. From the results of analysis in this report, we think the antibiotics actually surpass in antibacterial activity may be imipenem, cefozopran, cefsulodin and amikacin. New analytical method proposed in this report will become one of potential methods to estimate antibacterial activity of antibiotics against bacteria isolated from inpatient with bacterial infections.
Since August 1994, we have performed 65 thoracoscopic surgeries for spontaneous pneumothorax. Our operative method is partial resection of the lung with bullae using endoscopic autosuture. Three patients underwent reoperation because of persistent air leakage in one case and postoperative recurrences in two cases. In addition, we performed a second operation in one case that had undergone thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax in another hospital. At the second operation, regrowth of bullae was found at the edge of staple-line in three of the 4 cases, and in one of these cases, such regrown bullae seemed to be a cause of recurrence of pneumothorax. The regrowth of the bullae was caused by incomplete resection at the initial surgery in one case. Such incomplete resection and oversight were not noticed in the review of the videotape of the initial surgeries in two cases. Reinforcement of the staple-line is necessary for prevention of recurrence of pneumothorax.
A 44-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with dyspnea on exertion. Chest radiographs and pulmonary function tests showed evidence of pulmonary emphysema. Serum alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) could not be detected by nephelometry, immuno-electrophoresis, or iso-electric focusing. However, allele-specific PCR revealed a genotype homozygotic for an alpha 1-AT deficient variant of the Siiyama allele. An elder sister of the proband was also a homozygous carrier of the Siiyama allele. The amino acid sequence for normal alpha 1-AT variants had been substituted by Arg101-Val213-Glu376 in the proband, demonstrating that the alpha 1-antitrypsin-deficient Siiyama variant in this pedigree was derived from M 1 (Val213).
Combined antitumor activity of CPT-11 and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was evaluated in a human cultured cell line derived from lung cancer. After 24 h culture with SN-38 followed by 5-FU 24 h, synergistic effect was observed in the cell line. In addition, the antitumor effect of this combination was studied in in vivo experiments using Donryu rat with Yoshida sarcoma cells. CPT-11 and 5-FU synergistically inhibited tumor growth. There was no significant increase of toxicity as assessed by the body weights. These results might support for the combination with 5-FU and CPT-11 in a chemotherapy for cancer.
ALG-2 is a 22 kDa EF-hand type Ca2+-binding protein associated with lymphocyte apoptosis. Comparison of the primary structure of ALG-2 with those of EF-hand type proteins revealed that it belongs to the penta-EF-hand (PEF) protein family including the small subunit of calpain. We established a convenient method for the purification of the recombinant mouse ALG-2 expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was first pelleted from a lysate in the absence of a Ca2+-chelator, and then extracted with buffer containing EDTA/EGTA followed by purification by conventional column chromatographies. Estimation of the molecular mass by gel filtration suggested that the recombinant ALG-2 occurred as a monomeric form. Ca2+-dependent precipitation was blocked by inclusion of non-ionic detergent Triton X-100, suggesting hydrophobic self-aggregation at high concentrations of the protein. The N-terminal deletion mutant lacking the hydrophobic non-PEF region was found to be more soluble than the wild type in the presence of Ca2+. Analysis using a fluorescent hydrophobicity probe indicated that ALG-2 exposed a hydrophobic surface in a Ca2+-concentration dependent manner, the half-maximal effect occurring at approximately 6 microM. Mg2+ was not effective for the conformational change. On Western blotting, ALG-2 was detected in particulate fractions from cultured mammalian cells, suggesting the association of the protein with macromolecules in the cells.
A cDNA for a water-soluble chlorophyll (Chl) protein (WSCP) from cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var botrys) was cloned and sequenced. The cDNA contained an open reading frame encoding 19 residues for a signal peptide and 199 residues for the mature form of WSCP. The sequence showed extensive homology to drought-stress-related, 22-kDa proteins in some Brassicaceae plants. Functional WSCP was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with a maltose-binding protein (MBP). When the recombinant MBP-WSCP was incubated with thylakoid membranes, the MBP-WSCP removed Chls from these membranes. During this process, the monomer of the apo-MBP-WSCP successfully bound Chls and was converted into tetrameric holo-MBP-WSCP. The reconstituted MBP-WSCP exhibited absorption and fluorescent spectra identical to those of the native WSCP purified from cauliflower leaves. The Chl a/b ratio in native WSCP indicates a high content of Chl a, which was mainly due to the higher affinity of MBP-WSCP for Chl a. WSCP is the first example of a hydrophilic protein that can transfer Chls from thylakoid hydrophobic proteins. Possible functions of WSCP are discussed.
Much has been discovered studying sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca release channels in SR vesicles and lipid bilayers. We have focused on how SR Ca release is regulated in intact mammalian ventricular myocytes, using fluorescent Ca indicators, voltage clamp, and confocal microscopy. Three major factors appear to contribute to the probability of spontaneous localized SR Ca release events (or Ca "sparks") in resting myocytes: (1) cytosolic [Ca], (2) SR Ca content, and (3) time after previous activity (i.e., recovery from adapted or inactivated state). These same three factors function during excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling and can explain rest potentiation of twitches, increased fractional SR Ca release at higher SR Ca loads, and Ca overload. Since SR Ca release is sensitive to both ICa and SR Ca load, we have controlled (and measured) these parameters. At constant SR Ca load and ICa in intact cells we have found that SR Ca release is increased by Ca-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) and FK506 (which may interfere with the interaction between the Ca release channel and the FK binding protein) and is reduced by the Ca channel agonist Bay K 8644, CaMKII inhibitors, and during ventricular hypertrophy. Thus the regulation of the SR Ca release channel in the intact cell is an important factor in cellular cardiac function.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a growth factor-like mediator for fibroblasts or smooth muscle cells produced and released by activated platelets. Platelet activation occurs with hepatic necrosis and subsequent liver regeneration and fibrosis. In the fibrosis, hepatic stellate cells proliferate with phenotypic transformation to myofibroblasts. Thus, effects of LPA on proliferation of hepatocytes and stellate cells were investigated. In cultured rat stellate cells, LPA increased DNA synthesis with enhanced MAP kinase activity. Pertussis toxin (PTX) attenuated this mitogenic action. In contrast, LPA decreased DNA synthesis by cultured rat hepatocytes induced by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or epidermal growth factor (EGF) without affecting protein synthesis. Enhanced MAP kinase activity by HGF or EGF was not changed by LPA. This anti-mitogenic action was attenuated by PTX. TGFbeta level in the medium was less than the level effective for inhibiting the DNA synthesis in the presence of LPA. Our results suggest that LPA might affect proliferation of hepatocytes and stellate cells in liver diseases complicating platelet activation.
Two types of calcium current (I(Ca)) have been identified in the bipolar cell of the mouse retina: a transient (T-) type current and a long lasting (L-) type current. It has been suggested that the former is present in the soma and the latter in the axon terminal. To establish the cellular localization of the two types of I(Ca), bipolar cells of the mouse retina was studied electrophysiologically in a slice preparation, and immunocytochemically by staining specific calcium channels in isolated cells. The dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type I(Ca) was recorded in the axon terminal, and the T-type current was recorded in the somatic region. Strong immunoreactivity to a polyclonal antibody against the L-type calcium channel was found in the axon terminal. These observations suggest that the L-type I(Ca) is generated at the axon terminal and contributes to the transmission of sustained depolarization.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Mutations in the diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter (DTDST) gene constitute a family of recessively inherited osteochondrodysplasias including achondrogenesis type 1B, atelosteogenesis type II, and diastrophic dysplasia. However, the functional properties of the gene product have yet to be elucidated. We cloned rat DTDST cDNA from rat UMR-106 osteoblastic cells. Northern blot analysis suggested that cartilage and intestine were the major expression sites for DTDST mRNA. Analysis of the genomic sequence revealed that the rat DTDST gene was composed of at least five exons. Two distinct transcripts were expressed in chondrocytes due to alternative utilization of the third exon, corresponding to an internal portion of the 5'-untranslated region of the cDNA. Injection of rat and human DTDST cRNA into Xenopus laevis oocytes induced Na+-independent sulfate transport. Transport activity of the expressed DTDST was markedly inhibited by extracellular chloride and bicarbonate. In contrast, canalicular Na+-independent sulfate transporter Sat-1 required the presence of extracellular chloride in the cRNA-injected oocytes. The activity profile of sulfate transport in growth plate chondrocytes was studied in the extracellular presence of various anions and found substantially identical to DTDST expressed in oocytes. Thus, sulfate transport of chondrocytes is dominantly dependent on the DTDST system. Finally, we demonstrate that undersulfation of proteoglycans by the chlorate treatment of chondrocytes significantly impaired growth response of the cells to fibroblast growth factor, suggesting a role for DTDST in endochondral bone formation.