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Biomedical subjects

H Tashiro

Publications and source records attributed to H Tashiro.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

[Examination of dust generated from a workplace where steel wire coil are unwound].

Analyses of constituents, measurement of concentrations, research of size distributions and scanning electron microscopic examinations were carried out to determine the type and amount of dust generated in a working environment where steel wire coils are unwound. In about a 700 m2 work area unit, stationary samplings, including A-sampling (24 points) and B-sampling (1 point), which are defined by the law, were carried out. The dust concentration was measured by a digital dust indicator. A low volume air sampler was used to determine the conversion factor of the values obtained by the digital dust indicator. Because the result of the dust level by A-sampling and B-sampling were 0.64 mg/m3 and 0.82 mg/m3 respectively, they can both be classified as Control Class 1. A proportion of less than 7 microns of the airborne dust made up about 15 to 20% (volume %) of the total dust in the working environments. Metallic dust and white dust were identified in the accumulated dust. By measuring with a X-ray diffractometry, it was determined that the metal dust constituent was Zn and the white dust constituent was Zn4CO3(OH)6.H2O. By a scanning electron microscopic examination, the scope of the particles was proven to be non-fibrous.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗

Malignant Adenomyoepithelioma of the Breast:A Case with Distant Metastases.

Adenomyoepithelioma is thought to be a low-grade malignancy, and cases showing malignant behavior are rare. A massive breast tumor with skin invasion in a 60-year-old woman was diagnosed as malignant adenomyoepithelioma. Despite the tumor size and skin invasion, noaxillary lymph node metastases were detected. Light microscopy showed proliferation of tubular structures composed of atypical epithelial and myoepithelial cells and occasional anaplastic cells with mitotic figures extending to the epidermis of the skin. Twenty-four months after the surgery the patient complained of dull pain in the right thigh, and was found to have bone, lung and mediastinal lymph node metastases. There was neither local recurrence nor axillary lymph node metastasis. Subsequent femur fracture was treated by osteotomy. Despite additional chemoradiotherapy, the patient died 43 months after the first operation. Our case and literature review indicated that this tumor tends to show hematogenous metastasis.

Journal Article↗

Real-time observation of the disassembly of stable neuritic microtubules induced by laser transection: possible mechanisms of microtubule stabilization in neurites.

By dissolving the membrane with detergent perfusion, we have shown that the established neurites of dorsal root ganglion cells cultured for more than 5 days contained microtubules which persisted outside the cell for a few minutes to more than 1h [Tashiro et al., 1997: J. Neurosci. Res. 50:81-93]. To investigate their stabilization mechanism, we transected the exposed microtubules by laser microbeam irradiation and observed their length changes with video-enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy. Microtubule fragments started to shorten on both sides of the transection site. more rapidly from the newly generated plus ends than from the minus ends. The maximal rate as well as the pattern of shortening correlated with the time of transection; microtubules transected later than 30 min after membrane removal shortened at rates less than 20 microm/min and typically with intermittent pauses, while the more labile microtubules included in the earlier transections shortened continuously at higher rates. Microtubules in neurites were thus stabilized by 1) stopping disassembly at local sites including the plus ends, and 2) slowing disassembly along the length. Transection also suggested the presence of specialized points along microtubules which are involved in anchoring microtubules to the substratum. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 42:87-100, 1999.

Animals↗

A follicle-stimulating hormone-secreting gonadotroph adenoma with ovarian enlargement in a 10-year-old girl.

OBJECTIVE: To report a rare case of gonadotroph adenoma accompanied by ovarian enlargement in a child. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: A university hospital. PATIENT(S): A 10-year-old Japanese girl with multiple cysts of both ovaries. INTERVENTION(S): Endocrinologic assays, immunohistochemical staining, ultrastructural observations, and in vitro analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The endocrinologic assays showed an elevated serum FSH level. The tumor cells excised from the gonadotroph adenoma were immunohistochemically positive for antihuman FSH monoclonal antibody. When cultured in vitro, the tumor cells secreted FSH in the primary culture. RESULT(S): The gonadotroph adenoma produced FSH. After transsphenoidal surgery, both ovaries decreased in size. CONCLUSION(S): The ovarian enlargement was induced by endogenous FSH from the gonadotroph adenoma. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of gonadotroph adenoma accompanied by ovarian enlargement in childhood or adolescence.

Adenoma↗

Expression of the thymidine phosphorylase gene in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) is associated with angiogenesis and the progression of solid tumours. High intracellular levels of this enzyme indicate increased chemosensitivity to pyrimidine antimetabolites. TP gene expression in 56 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer (27 of serous, 10 mucinous, 12 endometrioid, five clear cell and two undifferentiated) were analysed by polymerase chain reaction of RNA after reverse transcription. These included eight of low malignant potential. Twenty were stage I, four stage II, 27 stage III and five stage IV. The level of TP gene expression was presented by the relative yield of the TP gene to the beta2-microglobulin gene. TP gene expression ranged from 0.19 to 5.38 (median 0.93). The value of TP gene expression in stage III-IV was significantly higher than that of TP gene expression in stage I-II (P = 0.0005). Histological grade significantly associated with TP gene expression (P = 0.008), but histological subtype did not (P = 0.166). A follow-up study of 34 cases after complete resection of the primary tumours by surgical operation was performed. TP gene expression of the cases with recurrence showed significantly higher levels compared to cases without recurrence (P = 0.049). Survival data were available for 47 of the 56 patients. The prognosis of the patients with high TP gene expression (equal to, or greater than, median) was to be significantly worse than patients with low TP gene expression (less than median) (P = 0.021). The TP gene expression level may play one of the key roles in the biology of ovarian epithelial cancer and define a more aggressive tumour phenotype. A new therapeutic intervention mediated by TP protein activity is anticipated.

Adult↗

Brain injury does not modify transmissible spongiform encephalopathy caused by intraperitoneal inoculation with Fukuoka-1 strain.

The pathogenesis of neuroinvasion in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies following the peripheral uptake of a disease agent is still not fully understood. The possibility of neuroinvasion either being established or being accelerated by an insult to the brain has not previously been tested. The experiment described herein was designed to examine this possibility by wounding the brain following an intraperitoneal challenge with a mouse-adapted strain of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, Fukuoka-1 strain. The results showed that brain injury introduced in any period before the appearance of cerebral abnormal prion protein deposition modified neither the clinical features, including the incubation period, nor the histopathology of the mice. Our findings suggest that neurovirulence of the agent may not be sufficiently promoted by brain injury.

Animals↗

Intracellular elasticity and viscosity in the body, leading, and trailing regions of locomoting neutrophils.

To investigate the mechanisms underlying pseudopod protrusion in locomoting neutrophils, we measured the intracellular stiffness and viscosity in the leading region, main body, and trailing region from displacements of oscillating intracellular granules driven with an optical trap. Experiments were done in control conditions and after treatment with cytochalasin D or nocodazole. We found 1) in the body and trailing region, the granules divided into a "fixed" population (too stiff to measure) and a "free" population (easily oscillated; fixed fraction 65%, free fraction 35%). By contrast, the fixed fraction in the leading region was <5%. 2) In the body and trailing region, there was no difference in stiffness or viscosity, but both were sharply lower in the leading region (respectively, 20-fold and 5-fold). 3) Neither cytochalasin D nor nocodazole caused a decrease in stiffness, but both treatments markedly reduced the fixed fraction in the body and trailing region to <20% and <40%, respectively. These observations suggest a discrete lattice structure in the body and trailing region and suggest that the developing pseudopod has a core that is more fluidlike, in the sense of a much lower viscosity and an almost total loss of stiffness. This is consistent with the contraction/solation hypothesis of pseudopodial formation.

Cell Movement↗

[Remaining solvents in dry cleaned over clothes].

We examined remaining solvents in dry cleaned trousers to estimate the magnitude of environmental pollution. A cleaning solvent of petroleum hydrocarbon was analyzed by means of capillary column mass spectrum gas chromatography. Principal ingredients were identified to be nonane, decane and undecane. The same main components were detected in dry cleaned trousers. Total amounts of evaporated vapor from a pair of trousers (480 g) in 5 days after dry cleaning were nonane (0.73 mg), decane (1.53 mg) and undecane (1.09 mg). The levels on the fifth day were 5%(nonane), 18%(decane) and 32%(undecane) of the first day's concentration, respectively. The half times of the remaining solvents were 1.0 day (nonane), 1.7 days (decane) and 2.7 days (undecane), respectively.

Clothing↗

Anorexia nervosa with severe liver dysfunction and subsequent critical complications.

A twenty-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa (body mass index=11) suffered from severe liver dysfunction (aspartate aminotransferase 5,000 IU/l, alanine aminotransferase 3,980 IU/l, prothrombin time 32%), hypoglycemia (serum glucose 27 mg/dl), and pancreatic dysfunction (amylase 820 IU/l, lipase 558 IU/l). She fell into a depressive state with irritability, which was not improved by intravenous glucose. Despite treatment with plasmapheresis for the liver dysfunction, she subsequently developed pulmonary edema, acute renal failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Hemodialysis, mechanical ventilation and drug therapy including prednisolone, prostaglandin E1, and branched-chain amino acid, improved her critical condition. In this case, malnutrition may have been the cause for the liver dysfunction and subsequent complications.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

[Usefulness of exercise echocardiography in ischemic heart disease: comparison with exercise cardiac scintigraphy].

Exercise echocardiography and exercise thallium-201 (201Tl) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were performed in 152 patients with suspected coronary artery disease, including 61 patients with old myocardial infarction. All patients underwent coronary arteriography, and coronary artery disease was defined as > or = 75% diameter stenosis. Digital two-dimensional echocardiography was performed before and after the treadmill exercise test, and wall motion abnormality was evaluated using quad-screen. Sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease were similar for the 2 exercise tests (77% and 80% for echocardiography and 75%, and 83% for SPECT, respectively). Diagnoses for one-vessel disease, 2-vessel disease and 3-vessel disease were similar for echocardiography (79%, 72% and 77%, respectively) and SPECT (74%, 75% and 77%, respectively). Sensitivity for the diagnosis of ischemia at the area remote from infarct area was low for both exercise echocardiography and exercise SPECT (45% and 48%, respectively). Exercise echocardiography has comparable diagnostic value to SPECT for the detection of coronary artery disease. However, both exercise tests have limitations for the diagnosis of ischemia at the area remote from infarct area.

Echocardiography↗

[Cranio-cervical junction dural arteriovenous malformation presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage: report of two cases].

Most spinal dural arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) affect the thoracic and lumbar regions. The clinical features of dural AVMs are, usually, gradually progressing myelopathy, while hemorrhage is a rare occurrence. We have recently encountered two cases of cranio-cervical junction dural AVM which caused subarachnoid hemorrhage. Both patients, a 61-year-old and a 37-year-old man were admitted to our hospital due to sudden onset of severe headache. Left vertebral angiography demonstrated a dural AVM at the cranio-cervical junction. A left suboccipital craniotomy and left hemilaminectomy of the atlas were performed. Dural opening disclosed tortuous dilated abnormal vessels. The dural AVM was fed by multiple small dural branches of the left vertebral artery and drained into an intracranial pial vein. The dura where the left vertebral artery penetrated was coagulated and divided from the left vertebral artery. Postoperative courses of these patients were uneventful. The pathophysiology and surgical treatment of dural AVMs in the cranio-cervical junction are discussed.

Adult↗

[Effects of DAC (doxifluridine, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide) chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer patients].

Effects of DAC (doxifluridine (5'-DFUR), adriamycin (ADM), cyclophosphamide (CPA)) chemotherapy were evaluated in seven patients with advanced breast cancer. 5'-DFUR of 600 mg was orally daily, ADM of 40 mg/m2 was administered intravenously (bolus) at day 1 and CPA of 400 mg/m2 was administered intravenously (one shot) at day 1 and day 8. These were repeated as one cycle of 21 days. Two complete responses, three partial responses and two progressive diseases were obtained, and the response rate was 71% (95% confidence interval: 29-96%). The side-effects of more than grade 3 were observed in leucocytopenia (4/7), neutrocytopenia (6/7), anorexia (2/7), nausea or vomiting (2/7) and alopecia (6/7). These results suggest that DAC chemotherapy is a novel, attractive regimen for treatment of advanced breast cancer. The randomized clinical trial is required to elucidate the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or its analogues and the significance of methods for their administration in management of patients with advanced breast cancer.

Administration, Oral↗

Mapping of a novel human carbonyl reductase, CBR3, and ribosomal pseudogenes to human chromosome 21q22.2.

To find the genes contributing to Down syndrome, we constructed a 4-Mb sequence-ready map spanning chromosome 21q22.2 with megabase-sized cosmid/P1-derived artificial chromosome (PAC) contigs. The restriction map with rare cutting enzymes, followed by sequencing from the clustering sites, has defined CpG islands and revealed the genes associated with CpG islands (Accession No. D85771). Of these, two human carbonyl reductases (CBR; EC1.1.1.184) were found in a PAC 25P16 clone. CBR catalyzes the reduction of a large number of biologically and pharmacologically active carbonyl compounds to their corresponding alcohols and has been mapped in 21q22.1. To confirm these results, we sequenced the PAC clone in shotgun strategies and identified a novel carbonyl reductase, designated CBR3, 62 kb downstream from the original CBR. In addition, three ribosomal pseudogenes, L23a, S9, and L3, and some cDNAs with ESTs were mapped in the sequence. In conclusion, the sequence analysis for CpG islands predicted from the megabase-sized contigs will reveal and identify the genes involved in Down syndrome.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Primary Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the Breast: A Report of Two Cases.

BACKGROUND: Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the breast (PBNHL) is a rare neoplasm and PBNHL occuring in a man is extremely rare. METHODS: We report herein two cases of PBNHL and discuss methods of diagnosis and treatment. RESULTS: The first patient was a 35-year-old woman who presented with an elastic-hard mass in her left breast and adenopathy in her left axillary fossa. Mammography and ultrasonography suggested left breast cancer. Frozen sections demonstrated PBNHL histologically. Quadrantectomy of the breast was performed followed by chemotherapy. The second patient was a 65-year-old man with an elastic-hard mass in his left breast and left axillary lymphadenopathy. Mammography and ultrasonography suggested breast cancer or a soft tissue tumor. Intraoperative histological examination revealed a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). A simple mastectomy and postoperative chemotherapy were performed and the patient had a good prognosis. CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary approach including surgery, chemotherapy, andradiotherapy is indispensable in treating PBNHL, after diagnosis by excisional biopsy or aspiration cytology.

Journal Article↗

[Research on the contents of material safety data sheets].

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) system for the safe management of chemical substances was officially promulgated in 1993 and has been gradually put into practice through administrative guidance in Japan. However, little research has been done on the quality of such data sheets provided from various sectors of industries. We examined two sets of MSDSs obtained from a refractory ceramic plant. In the first survey in 1995, the set of MSDSs was from July, 1992 to March, 1994; and in the second survey in 1997, the set was from April, 1994 to November, 1996. The number of MSDSs examined in these two surveys was 159 and 81, respectively. The number of MSDSs in which "Hazard Identification" was indicated was 100 (63%) in the 1995 survey and 75 (93%) in the 1997 survey. The number of those in which "Toxicological Information (Stability and Reactivity)" was indicated was 81 (51%) and 80 (99%), respectively. The description rates for the essential items, including the above two, were found to be improving.

Data Collection↗

Nucleotide sequencing analysis of the 146-kilobase segment around the IkBL and MICA genes at the centromeric end of the HLA class I region.

To elucidate the complete gene structure and to identify new genes involved in the development of HLA class I antigen-associated diseases in the class I region of the human major histocompatibility complex on chromosome 6, a YAC clone (745D12) covering the 146-kb segment around the IkBL and MICA loci was isolated from a YAC library constructed from the B-cell line, BOLETH. A physical map of this region was constructed by isolation of overlapping cosmid clones derived from 745D12. Of these, five contiguous cosmids were chosen for DNA sequencing by the shotgun strategy to give a single contig of 146,601 bp from 2.8 kb telomeric of the IkBL gene to exon 6 of MICA. This region was confirmed to contain five known genes, IkBL, BAT1, MICB, P5-1, and HLA-X (class I fragment), from centromere to telomere, and their exon-intron organizations were determined. The 3.8-1 homologue gene (3.8-1-hom) showing 99.7% identity with the 3.8-1 cDNA clone, which was originally isolated using the 3.8-kb EcoRI fragment between the HLA-54/H and the HLA-G genes, was detected between MICA and MICB and was suggested to represent the cognate 3.8-1 genomic sequence from which the cDNA clone was derived. No evidence for the presence of expressed new genes could be obtained in this region by homology and EST searches or coding and exon prediction analyses. One TA microsatellite repeat spanning 2545 bases with as many as 913 repetitions was found on the centromeric side of the MICA gene and was indicated to be a potential hot spot for genetic recombination. The two segments of approximately 35 kb upstream of the MICA and MICB genes showed high sequence homology (about 85%) to each other, suggesting that segmental genome duplication including the MICA and MICB genes must have occurred during the evolution of the human MHC.

Carrier Proteins↗

Establishment of a new cell line, OKT1, from small cell carcinoma secreting ectopic ACTH of the uterine cervix.

OBJECTIVE: Small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is rare and represents a unique entity among gynecological tumors. It sometimes demonstrates neuroendocrine differentiation, including adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion. In this study, we established a new cell line, OKT1, from a case of carcinoma secreting ectopic ACTH without Cushing's syndrome and determined the character of the cell line. METHODS: OKT1 was established from OKT tumor cells, derived from a biopsy specimen of small cell cervical carcinoma, and serially heterotransplanted into nude mice. To characterize OKT1, the cell morphology, growth properties, immunohistochemical properties, hormone- and tumor-associated antigen secretion, tumorigenic potential, DNA profile, and chromosomal alteration were studied. RESULTS: The population doubling time of OKT1 was approximately 27 h. The cytological properties of OKT1, including DNA ploidy pattern, were similar to those of the primary tumor. Neuroendocrine differentiation was shown in the OKT1 cells by the positive immunocytochemical staining of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and the presence of NSE and ACTH in the culture media. The xenograft of 1 x 10(8) OKT1 cells into nude mice yielded tumor mass. Furthermore, OKT1 demonstrated HPV type 18 and absence of a p53 gene mutation from exons 5 through 8. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, OKT1 is the first cell line established from small cell cervical carcinoma with ACTH secretion.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗