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Biomedical subjects

H Shibuya

Publications and source records attributed to H Shibuya.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Antiinflammatory potency of dehydrocurdione, a zedoary-derived sesquiterpene.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Dehydrocurdione, a sesquiterpene isolated from zedoary, was tested for in vivo and in vitro antiinflammatory actions. MATERIALS: Analgesic effect was tested in ICR mice by the acetic acid-induced writhing method. Antipyretic effect was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats treated with baker's yeast. Antiinflammatory activities were tested in Wistar rats with carrageenan-induced paw edema and adjuvant-induced chronic arthritis. In vitro analyses included the capabilities to inhibit cyclooxygenase activity, and to scavenge free radicals as determined by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). RESULTS: Oral administration of dehydrocurdione (40 to 200 mg/kg) mitigated the writhing reflex. induced by acetic acid and the fever elicited by baker's yeast. A higher dose (200 mg/kg) of dehydrocurdione was required to inhibit the carrageenan-induced paw edema. Oral administration of dehydrocurdione at 120 mg/kg/day for 12 days significantly reduced chronic adjuvant arthritis. Unlike indomethacin (IC50: 0.1 microM), dehydrocurdione showed minimal cyclooxygenase inhibition. However, dehydrocurdione (100 microM to 5 mM) significantly reduced free radical formation from hydrogen peroxide and ferrous iron determined by EPR spectrometry using 5,5'-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide as a spin trap agent. CONCLUSION: In addition to the well-known effect of zedoary as a stomachic, dehydrocurdione, the major component of Curcuma zedoaria Roscoe has antiinflammatory potency related to its antioxidant effect.

Acetic Acid↗
PubMed1998

A long-term surviving patient with cancer of papilla of Vater after local resection.

We report successful local resection for cancer of papilla of Vater in an 86-year-old woman. She was referred to our hospital because of right hypochondralgia. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography showed marked dilatation of the common bile duct (CBD). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography disclosed a small shadow defect in the terminal of the dilated CBD. Biopsy of the papilla revealed well-to-moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Considering her extreme old age and keeping in mind her quality of life after the operation, and the finding that the tumor was localized within the papilla and highly differentiated, we performed local resection. In addition, the intrapancreatic portion of the CBD and part of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) were further resected to secure a negative margin, confirmed by frozen section. The MPD was reapproximated to the duodenal mucosa and a choledocho-duodenostomy was performed for CBD reconstruction. Histopathological examination showed the tumor was papillary adenocarcinoma, 10 x 15 mm in size; there was no invasion beyond the sphincter of Oddi, it had partly infiltrated the CBD, but had not invaded to the pancreas or duodenum. The patient's postoperative course was not eventful and she has had good quality of life for the past 6 years since the operation, without any evidence of recurrence. Although radical pancreaticoduodenectomy is now the standard procedure in patients with malignant tumor of the papilla of Vater, local resection is a reasonable alternative for high-risk patients with highly differentiated, apparently localized carcinomas.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1998

Electrophysiological and morphological features of rat claustral neurons: an intracellular staining study.

The electrophysiological and morphological features of neurons in the rat rostral claustrum were examined using intracellular recording and staining methods in vivo. A total of 31 neurons were analysed electrophysiologically, and 21 of these were stained well with intracellular biocytin injection. The following electrophysiological properties were analysed by intracellular current injection: firing properties, the shape of single action potentials and input resistance. The firing patterns of the claustral neurons seemed to be similar to those of regular spiking cells in the cerebral cortex. They had action potentials with a maximum rate of rise much higher than that of fall, and showed spike-frequency adaptation during long depolarizing pulses. The morphological analysis demonstrated that the claustral neurons were of various types: the somata were polygonal, triangular, ovoid, round, or fusiform, sometimes with a stout dendrite. Such a dendrite extended toward the superficial layers in the more rostral orbital cortex, and was revealed to be a distorted apical dendrite by a three-dimensional computer-aided system. The embryological origin of the claustrum has been a matter of controversy: two main hypotheses of cortical germinal origin and ganglionic eminence origin. Considering the firing patterns and morphological features, the present findings suggest that the neurons in the rostral claustrum share some physiological characteristics with cortical neurons in rats.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1998

BRAM1, a BMP receptor-associated molecule involved in BMP signalling.

BACKGROUND: TGF-beta superfamily members elicit signals through the stimulation of serine/threonine-kinase receptors. Recently, molecules associated with several TGF-beta family receptors have been cloned. One such molecule, the immunophilin FKBP12, has been reported to interact with TGF-beta family type I receptors. However, the identity of signalling specific molecules interacting with the receptor was unknown. RESULTS: To clarify the factors mediating bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor signalling, a cytoplasmic molecule associated with the BMP type IA receptor (BMPR-IA) was isolated using the yeast two-hybrid system. We designated the molecule BMP receptor associated molecule 1 (BRAM1). BRAM1 is an alternatively spliced form of BS69, a factor previously identified as an adenovirus E1A-associated protein. BRAM1 was localized to the cytoplasmic region in mammalian cells, whereas BS69 is localized to the nucleus. BRAM1 bound specifically to BMPR-IA in mammalian cells. The C-terminal half of BRAM1 was found to be sufficient for binding to BMPR-IA. CONCLUSIONS: BRAM1, a BMPR-IA associated molecule, was isolated using the yeast two-hybrid system, and found to associate specifically with BMPR-IA. BRAM1 may thus serve as an interacting protein in the BMP signal pathway.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1998

Splenic irradiation for prolymphocytic leukemia: is it preferable as an initial treatment or not?

We describe a case of B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) successfully treated with splenic irradiation (SI). A 69-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of massive splenomegaly and leukocytosis. Peripheral blood showed hemoglobin (Hb) 7.4 g/dl, platelets 48 x 10(9)/l and white blood cells (WBC) 50.3 x 10(9)/l with 90% prolymphocytes. Bone marrow was hypercellular with 60% prolymphocytes. Surface marker analysis revealed that prolymphocytes were positive for CD20, CD22, FMC7, HLA-DR and surface immunoglobulin (mu, delta and lambda), but negative for CD5 and mouse erythrocyte rosette. A diagnosis of B-cell PLL was made. SI (1.5 Gy x 4/week, total dose 19.5 Gy) was chosen for the treatment and a remarkable response was achieved immediately after the first irradiation. Finally, a single course of SI induced complete remission without any significant side effect. One year after the SI, she showed no splenomegaly and almost normal peripheral blood cell count (Hb 11.2 g/dl, platelets 100 x 10(9)/l, WBC 3.6 x 10(9)/l with 71% neutrophils and no prolymphocyte). She has been well for more than 24 months. This case showed that SI may remain valuable for an initial course of PLL treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Tl-201 myocardial SPECT in patients with systemic arterial diseases.

We compared the results of Tl-201 myocardial SPECT of patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and Takayasu arteritis (TA), so that coronary artery disease could be evaluated in them. Twenty-three patients (ASO, 9; AAA, 8; TA, 6) had Tl-201 myocardial SPECT with stress testing, and SPECT data was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative analysis showed that myocardial perfusion was decreased most in patients with ASO, followed by patients with AAA, and was minimally decreased in patients with TA. Quantitative analysis indicated that segmental uptake was significantly less in four segments in ASO compared with TA, less in two segments in AAA compared with TA, and less in two segments in ASO compared with AAA. Thus patients with ASO and AAA were found to have a marked abnormality in Tl-201 myocardial SPECT, indicating that this procedure should be performed in these patients. In patients with TA, however, because of minimal abnormality in myocardial perfusion, the role of SPECT is limited.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Cloning and high-level expression of alpha-galactosidase cDNA from Penicillium purpurogenum.

The cDNA coding for Penicillium purpurogenum alpha-galactosidase (alphaGal) was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the alpha-Gal cDNA showed that the mature enzyme consisted of 419 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 46,334 Da. The derived amino acid sequence of the enzyme showed similarity to eukaryotic alphaGals from plants, animals, yeasts, and filamentous fungi. The highest similarity observed (57% identity) was to Trichoderma reesei AGLI. The cDNA was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the yeast GAL10 promoter. Almost all of the enzyme produced was secreted into the culture medium, and the expression level reached was approximately 0.2 g/liter. The recombinant enzyme purified to homogeneity was highly glycosylated, showed slightly higher specific activity, and exhibited properties almost identical to those of the native enzyme from P. purpurogenum in terms of the N-terminal amino acid sequence, thermoactivity, pH profile, and mode of action on galacto-oligosaccharides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Takayasu arteritis: evaluation of the thoracic aorta with CT angiography.

PURPOSE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomographic (CT) angiography in the evaluation of Takayasu arteritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with clinical symptoms suggestive of Takayasu arteritis underwent CT angiography and conventional angiography. Takayasu arteritis was diagnosed in 20 patients on the basis of conventional angiography. CT angiography was performed with a helical CT scanner after injection of a bolus of contrast material, and images were generated for three-dimensional display, multiplanar reformation, and maximum intensity projection. For vascular assessment, all images from CT angiography were used, and the results were compared with those from conventional angiography. RESULTS: CT angiography clearly depicted various luminal changes, including stenosis, occlusion, dilatation, and aneurysm, in the thoracic aorta and its major branches. CT angiography accurately depicted 190 (95%) of 200 arteries, although the extent of the steno-occlusive lesions was overestimated in five (2%) and underestimated in five (2%). Furthermore, CT angiography depicted mural changes, including wall thickening, calcification, and mural thrombi, not seen with conventional angiography. The sensitivity and specificity of CT angiography in the diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis were 95% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: CT angiography clearly depicts both luminal and mural changes in the thoracic aorta and its major branches and has a high accuracy in the diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Diagnostic accuracy of technetium-99m-pertechnetate scintigraphy with lemon juice stimulation to evaluate Warthin's tumor.

UNLABELLED: This study investigated the diagnostic accuracy of 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy with lemon juice stimulation for evaluating parotid gland Warthin's tumor. METHODS: Technetium-99m-pertechnetate scintigraphy with intraoral lemon juice stimulation was used to evaluate a total of 68 parotid gland lesions clinically suspected of being Warthin's tumor in 62 patients. Twenty-three of the 68 lesions were subsequently histologically confirmed to be Warthin's tumor, whereas the remaining 45 lesions were histologically diagnosed as being other lesions. RESULTS: Technetium-99m-pertechnetate scintigraphy with lemon juice stimulation correctly diagnosed 18 of 23 Warthin's tumors as being Warthin's tumor but was unable to diagnose the other five Warthin's tumors. Further, scintigraphy correctly diagnosed 41 of 45 non-Warthin's tumors as being non-Warthin's tumor but misdiagnosed other four non-Warthin's tumors as Warthin's tumor. Thus, the sensitivity of scintigraphy for diagnosing Warthin's tumor was found to be 78%, its specificity 91% and its accuracy 87%. On the basis of prestimulation images alone, however, the sensitivity was estimated to be 65%, its specificity 93% and its accuracy 84%. CONCLUSION: For evaluating Warthin's tumor, the sensitivity of 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy was relatively low, although the specificity was sufficiently high. Lemon juice stimulation improved the sensitivity markedly but decreased the specificity slightly. Thus, 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy with lemon juice stimulation should be carefully performed for diagnosis of Warthin's tumor.

Adenolymphoma↗
PubMed1998

Malignant lymphoma of the gingiva: MR evaluation.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to document the MR imaging findings of malignant lymphoma of the gingiva. METHODS: Five patients with histologically proved malignant lymphoma of the gingiva were studied by MR imaging. The MR images were analyzed for tumor size, extent, and signal characteristics, bone involvement, and associated cervical lymph node enlargement. RESULTS: Clinical examination tended to underestimate the size of lymphomatous lesions. The signal intensity of the lesions was isointense to hyperintense relative to muscle on noncontrast T1-weighted images and showed variable contrast enhancement patterns. On T2-weighted images, signal intensity was isointense to hypointense relative to the oral mucosa. In one case, the mass extended to the submandibular space; in the remaining cases, the masses were limited to the gingiva and the adjacent bone. MR imaging revealed that gingival lymphomatous masses were broad-based along the mandible or maxilla and eroded through the cortex into the marrow space, but the cortex was still recognizable. No nodal involvement was noted in any of the patients with malignant lymphoma. CONCLUSION: The signal characteristics of gingival lymphoma overlap those of other tumors. The cortex separating marrow involvement from the broad-based gingival mass generally appears to be permeated with small erosions but is still recognizable.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Association study between the -141C Ins/Del and TaqI A polymorphisms of the dopamine D2 receptor gene and alcoholism.

Dopamine D2 receptors have been implicated in the biology of alcohol preference. We examined the -141 C Ins/Del polymorphism in the promoter region of the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) and the DRD2 TaqI A polymorphisms in 209 Japanese alcoholics and 152 age- and sex-matched Japanese controls. The Ins allele was significantly increased in the alcoholics, compared with the controls (p < 0.002, odds ratio = 1.82). The TaqI A1 allele tended to be more frequent in the alcoholics than in the controls (p < 0.04). Linkage disequilibrium between these two polymorphisms was weak (a maximum delta value = 0.13). The -141 C Ins/Del polymorphism may affect the vulnerability for alcoholism presumably through different expression of DRD2 in the Japanese.

Adult↗