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Biomedical subjects

I Suzuki

Publications and source records attributed to I Suzuki.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

[Effects of long-term physical training on body composition, cardiovascular function, and serum lipids in mildly obese middle-aged subjects].

To investigate the effects of long-term physical exercise on humans, body composition, cardiovascular function and serum lipids were measured for a training period of 20 months in 8 men and 8 women, aged 36-67 years who were mildly obese. The subjects participated in physical training for 90 minutes about twice a week for 20 months. The intensity of training was at most 60% VO2max for each subject as calculated by karvonen's formula. The results are summarized as follows: (1) Body weight and estimated body fat weight decreased from baseline after the training in both sexes. The percentage decreases in body weight and estimated body fat weight in men were about threefold those in women. (2) Following the training, heart rate, blood pressure and rate pressure product (RPP) at rest had significantly decreased from initial levels in both sexes. (3) Following the training, the physical work capacity at a heart rate of 150bpm significantly increased, and systolic blood pressure at the heart rate of 150bpm significantly decreased from baseline levels in both sexes. (4) Following the training, the serum HDL-cholesterol and HDL-/total-cholesterol ratio significantly increased from baseline, and serum triglycerides and total cholesterol also significantly decreased from baseline levels in both sexes. These results suggest that long-term physical training with moderate intensity improves body composition, cardiovascular function and serum lipids in mildly obese middle-aged men and women, and reduces the risks for coronary heart disease.

Adult↗

Does inhibition of coronary nitric oxide synthesis alter coronary vascular tone in normal dogs?

To examine whether endothelial nitric oxide formation contributes to the vascular tone of resistance coronary vessels in vivo, we administered NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (10 and 100 micrograms/kg/min), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, as well as D-enantiomer into the left circumflex artery in normal dogs. Intracoronary L-NAME, which was associated with dose-related reductions in acetylcholine-induced coronary vasodilation, significantly reduced the baseline left circumflex blood flow by 6% and increased coronary vascular resistance of the left circumflex artery by 6%. D-enantiomer was ineffective in altering baseline coronary blood flow and vascular resistance of the left circumflex artery. These results indicate that continuous nitric oxide formation in the vasculature is important in the regulation of the coronary vascular tone of resistance vessels in vivo, and serves to maintain the vessels in a dilated state.

Animals↗

Preserved musical abilities following right temporal lobectomy.

It has been widely accepted that the right temporal lobe plays a major role in the processing of music. One of the main lines of evidence was derived from Milner's study, published in 1962, which reported that right temporal lobectomy led to a decline in patient scores on four of the six subtests (Tonal Memory, Timbre, Loudness, and Time subtests) of the Seashore Measures of Musical Talents. That finding had led some surgeons and patients to hesitate in choosing right temporal lobectomy as a treatment for intractable epilepsy. The authors examined performance on the Seashore Measures before and after operations in 20 patients with right temporal lobectomy and nine patients with left temporal lobectomy. No disturbances in the Seashore Measures were detected after temporal lobectomy on either side. The extent of these temporal lobectomies was smaller than that of the temporal lobectomies in Milner's study, as measured along the sylvian fissure (1.5-4 cm; mean 2.7 cm, standard deviation (SD) 0.92 cm) and the base of the temporal lobe (3.5-5.5 cm; mean 4.7 cm, SD 0.63 cm). These findings indicate that the region resected on right temporal lobectomy in the present study is not essential for basic musical processing.

Adult↗

Effect of egg white on serum cholesterol concentration in young women.

In a previous study we observed favorable effects of egg white on serum lipids in rats and mice. The present study was designed to elucidate these effects in 24 female university students with moderate hypercholesterolemia. About 30% of total protein was supplied with egg white, tofu or cheese. The experiment was conducted for a complete menstruation cycle of each subject. Lipid intake was about 30% of total energy intake. The energy intake of each subject was constant throughout the experiment. Body weight was measured every morning. Daily activity was measured by a pedometer. Blood was withdrawn after an overnight fast on the first, 15th and last days and serum lipids were measured. Body weight was measured every morning. Daily activity was measured by a pedometer. Blood was withdrawn after an overnight fast on the first, 15th and last days and serum lipids were measured. Body weight and daily activity were maintained in all the groups throughout the experiment. The egg white group showed a similar decrease in the total cholesterol (Total-C) concentration but a greater increase of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration as compared to the tofu group and a greater decrease in Total-C and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations and a greater increase in the HDL-C concentration as compared to the cheese group (p < 0.05). The results indicate the favorable effects of egg white in the control of hypercholesterolemia.

Adult↗

[A case of middle cranial fossa meningioma extending into the infratemporal fossa: an approach to the pterygoid extension of the sphenoid sinus via the infratemporal fossa].

A case of middle cranial fossa meningioma extending into infratemporal fossa and the pterygoid process is presented. The patient had a sphenoid sinus extending inferolaterally into the pterygoid process, which is known as pterygoid extension of the sphenoid sinus. This type of variation of the sphenoid sinus allowed a safe and well-oriented approach to the pterygoid process via the infratemporal fossa. The tumor extending into the pterygoid process was removed successfully without damaging any surrounding structures, e.g. maxillary nerve or Vidian nerve. However, pterygoid extension of the sinus is seen in only 40% of cases. Therefore, close preoperative examination with bone window CT scan is mandatory before employing this approach.

Cranial Fossa, Posterior↗

[A comparison of two delivery methods on the bronchodilator effects of beta 2-stimulant].

The airway response to a bronchodilator, salbutamol delivered by a new handy ultrasonic nebulizer and the compressed air nebulizer was studied in a blind manner. Patients by the ultrasonic nebulizer had better percent increase in FVC and FEV1 significantly and in other parameters showed a tendency to being better than those by the compressed air nebulizer. These results suggest that this ultrasonic nebulizer may be more useful than the compressed air nebulizer as inhalation therapy for bronchial asthma. This ultrasonic nebulizer has several advantages over the compressed air nebulizer. This nebulizer is compact size, light weight and has dry batteries as power source, making it more convenient for travel and use at workplace.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Isolation and characterization of a novel perchloric acid-soluble protein inhibiting cell-free protein synthesis.

We found a novel protein in the postmitochondria supernatant fraction of rat liver, which is soluble in 5% perchloric acid and strongly inhibits protein synthesis in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. The protein extracted from the supernatant fraction with 5% perchloric acid was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and CM-Sephadex chromatography. The protein was shown to consist of two identical subunits with a molecular mass of 14 kDa. By immunoscreening with the rabbit antisera against the protein, a cDNA encoding the protein was cloned and sequenced. The cDNA contained an open reading frame of 411 base pairs encoding a 136-amino acid protein with a molecular mass of 14,149 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence was completely identical with that constructed from all of the above peptides. Interestingly, the perchloric acid-soluble protein inhibited cell-free protein synthesis in the rabbit reticulocyte lysate system in a different manner from RNase A. The protein is likely to inhibit an initiation stage of cell-free protein synthesis. Among the rat tissues tested, the protein was located only in liver and kidney. These findings are the first report on a new inhibitor that may be involved in the regulation of protein synthesis in those tissues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Polymorphism and utilization of human VH Genes.

The human VH germline repertoire comprises approximately 100 elements, which can be grouped into seven families based on nucleotide sequence similarity. Members of different families are interspersed throughout the complex, with limited sets of alleles identified for most loci. Linkage disequilibrium between most elements is weak. Variation within the population can be attributed to differences in nucleotide sequence between allelic genes as well as to differences in the number of genes present. Gene number per haplotype varies as a result of the common occurrence of insertion/deletion polymorphisms, which may be small, involving a single element, or may be extensive, involving four or five elements. In some cases, such polymorphisms may involve duplication of a functional VH gene segment on some haplotypes and deletion of the gene on others. The resulting variation in germline composition of the VH locus may have profound effects on VH gene utilization.

Alleles↗

Comparison of the reactivity of tetradecenoic acids, a triacsin, and unsaturated oximes with four purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae fatty acid activation proteins.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains at least five acyl-CoA synthetases (fatty acid activation proteins, or Faaps). Four FAA genes have been recovered to date. Recent genetic studies indicate that Faa1p and Faa4p are involved in the activation of imported fatty acids, while Faa2p activates endogenous pools of fatty acids. We have now purified Faa4p from S. cerevisiae and compared its fatty acid substrate specificity in vitro with the specificities of purified Faa1p, Faa2p, and Faa3p. Among C8-C18 saturated fatty acids, Faa4p and Faa1p both prefer C14:0. Surveys of C14 fatty acids with single cis-double bonds at C2-C12 indicated that Faa4p and Faa1p prefer Z9-tetradecenoic acid, although Faa4p's preference is much greater and also evident in C16 and C18 fatty acids. Faa4p's selectivity for fatty acids with a C9-C10 cis-double bond is a feature it shares with Faa3p and is notable since in yeast Ole1p, a microsomal cis-delta 9 desaturase, accounts for de novo production of monoenoic acyl-CoAs from saturated acyl-CoA substrates. Faa4p has no detectable acyl-CoA synthetase activity when incubated with tetradecenoic acids having a trans-double bond at C2-3, C4-5, C5-6, C6-7, C7-8, or C9-10. Faa3p can only use E9-tetradecenoic acid as a substrate, while E4-, E6- and E9-tetradecenoic acids can be used by Faa1p and Faa2p. E2-tetradecenoic acid is an Faap inhibitor, with Faa2p exhibiting the greatest sensitivity (IC50 = 2.6 +/- 0.2 microM). Triacsin C (1-hydroxy-3-(E,E,E,2',4',7'- undecatrienylidine)-1,2,3-triazene) has trans-double bonds at positions that correspond to those in E2-, E5-, and E7-tetradecenoic acids. This compound is a potent inhibitor of Faa2p (Ki = 15 +/- 1 nM; competitive with fatty acid), less potent against Faa4p (Ki = 2 microM), and not active against Faa1p or Faa3p (IC50 > 500 microM). Analysis of an n-tetradecanal plus a series of oximes (tridecanal oxime, 1-azadeca-1,3,5-trienol, and 1-azaundeca-1,3,5-trienol) indicated that the combination of an azenol moiety (R-CH = N-OH) plus adjacent unsaturation are critical for triacsin C's selective inhibition of Faa2p. Triacsin C and oxime derivatives appear to be very useful for defining differences in molecular recognition among S. cerevisiae acyl-CoA synthetases. The > 25,000-fold range in the inhibitory effects of triacsin C on these four Faaps suggests that it may be possible to develop other selective inhibitors of eukaryotic acyl-CoA synthetases.

Base Sequence↗

Representation of rearranged VH gene segments in the human adult antibody repertoire.

The heavy chain variable region composition of the human adult Ab repertoire is poorly defined, but recent evidence suggests that peripheral blood B cells may express a nonstochastic assortment of VH genes. In this study, the contribution of individual VH gene segments to the human Ab repertoire has been assessed. As a measure of VH gene utilization, the frequency of occurrence of eight individual VH3 gene segments contained in rearrangements was assessed in the peripheral blood B cells of two adult subjects. In addition, the frequency of occurrence of rearrangements containing nine individual VH4 gene segments was analyzed in one of the subjects. More than 2500 independent rearrangements were analyzed. For controls, amplifications and subsequent identification of nonrearranged VH3 and VH4 genes from the same individuals were also performed. The results of this germ-line analysis indicated that approximately 25 VH3 gene segments and nine VH4 gene segments could be amplified quantitatively. However, usage of elements was not uniform; one VH3 element, V3-23, and one VH4 element, V4-34, were represented among rearrangements more frequently than were other members of their respective families. This pattern of VH utilization was apparent in B cells isolated from the same subject after an 8-mo interval, indicating the relative stability of the repertoire over time. These results indicate that the adult human Ab repertoire is dominated by a few VH genes demonstrating a pattern of nonrandom utilization that could involve preferential rearrangement and/or receptor-dependent selection.

Adult↗

Mitogenic and melanogenic stimulation of normal human melanocytes by melanotropic peptides.

The significance of melanotropic hormones as physiologic regulators of cutaneous pigmentation in humans is still controversial. Until recently, no direct effect for melanotropins could be demonstrated on human melanocytes. Here we present conclusive evidence that alpha-melanotropin (alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, alpha-MSH) and the related hormone corticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH) stimulate the proliferation and melanogenesis of human melanocytes maintained in culture in a growth medium lacking any AMP inducer. The minimal effective dose of either hormone is 0.1 nM. In time-course experiments, the increase in cell number and tyrosinase activity became evident after one treatment of the melanocytes with 100 nM alpha-MSH for 48 hr. The mitogenic effect gradually increased to 50-270% above control, depending on the individual melanocyte strain, with continuous treatment with 100 nM alpha-MSH for 8 days, whereas the melanogenic effect became maximal (70-450% increase above control) after 4 days of treatment. Western blot analysis of tyrosinase and the tyrosinase-related proteins TRP-1 and TRP-2 revealed that alpha-MSH increased the expression of those three melanogenic proteins. This was not accompanied by any change in their mRNA levels after brief (1.5-24 hr) or prolonged (6 days) treatment with 100 nM alpha-MSH, suggesting that the increased expression of these melanogenic proteins was due to posttranscriptional events. These results demonstrate both mitogenic and melanogenic effects of alpha-MSH and ACTH on human melanocytes. That both hormones are effective at subnanomolar concentrations, combined with the presence of melanotropin receptors on human melanocytes, strongly suggests that these melanotropins play a physiologic role in regulating human cutaneous pigmentation.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Effect of soluble fungal (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan obtained from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on alveolar macrophage activation.

In this study, we examined the effect of systemic administration of SSG, a soluble highly branched (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan obtained from a fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum IFO 9395, on pulmonary immune responses in mice. SSG (10 mg/kg) administered intravenously (i.v.) rapidly leaked into the alveolar space and enhanced several functions of alveolar macrophages (AMs), such as phagocytic activity, lysosomal enzyme activity, active oxygen secretion and cytokine production, on day 1 post-administration. However, kinetic changes of influx of SSG into alveoli and AM activation after SSG treatment were different. The enhanced AM functions decreased to control value on day 2 when SSG still existed at the alveolar space. Additionally, a high dose (500 micrograms/ml) of SSG was needed to activate AMs in vitro. These data imply that the stimulation by SSG alone is not effective on AM activation. SSG administered i.v. also augmented interferon gamma (IFN gamma) mRNA expression in the lung tissue, and the kinetic change of the expression was similar to that of AM activation. Additionally, a synergistic effect of SSG and IFN gamma was observed on AM activation in vitro. It may be possible that IFN gamma produced by pulmonary T cells is one of the important factors for AM activation in vivo by SSG injection. Furthermore, SSG administered i.v. enhanced candidacidal activity and cytolytic activity against pulmonary metastatic Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) cells of AMs, and inhibited significantly the experimental pulmonary metastasis of 3LL cells. These observations are very useful for the clinical application of SSG as a biological response modifier (BRM).

Animals↗

Surgical treatment of stage I and II oral squamous cell carcinomas: analysis of causes of failure.

Sixty-one patients with stage I and II squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity treated by surgery alone were analysed to investigate treatment outcome, pattern of failure, and occurrence of second malignant neoplasms. The disease recurred or developed lately in 11 patients. The ipsilateral neck was the most common site of failure. Salvage treatment was successful in only three of these patients. Occult neck metastasis was found in 31% of patients with T2 tumours. Second malignant neoplasms developed in 20 patients and were the cause of death in 8 patients. In conclusion, locoregional control of stage I and II oral carcinomas is achieved by surgery alone. Elective neck dissection is required for patients with stage II tumours, showing a high risk of lymph node metastasis in histology.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Bactericidal effect of rat cystatin S on an oral bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis.

We tested antibacterial and antiviral activities of rat cystatin S, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor, belonging to the family 2 cystatins against 18 different bacterial species and poliovirus type 1 (Sabin). Rat cystatin S specifically inhibited the growth of a human oral anaerobic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis due to a bactericidal effect.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Computed tomographic evaluation of lymph node metastasis in head and neck carcinomas.

A retrospective study of 53 patients was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of computer tomography (CT) in the detection of nodal metastases from carcinomas of the head and neck. The CT findings of 53 patients with head and neck carcinomas who underwent a total of 57 neck dissections were compared with the findings of physical examination (PE) and histopathological examination. Using node size larger than 10 mm in the short-axis diameter or the presence of central lucency as the criteria of nodal metastasis CT scanning staged correctly 52 of 57 necks, providing an accuracy of 91%, a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 100% in the detection of nodal metastases. There was agreement of PE findings with histology in 43 (74%) of 57 necks, with a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 38%, respectively. Because CT scanning was superior to PE in the pre-operative staging of head and neck carcinomas, it should be used for pre-operative evaluation of metastatic neck disease.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

CYP1A1 and CYP2E1 polymorphism and lung cancer, case-control study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Msp I polymorphism and exon 7 Ile-Val polymorphism of CYP1A1, and Rsa I polymorphism of CYP2E1 were studied in lung cancer patients and controls in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Of the three polymorphisms studied, only the exon 7 polymorphism of CYP1A1 (Val-containing genotypes) had a distribution which was statistically significant in the patients and controls. The contribution of Val containing genotypes of CYP1A1 exon 7 was greater in the subpopulation of squamous cell carcinoma patients with a lower life-time smoking consumption (OR, 2.92 vs 1.97). This association is consistent with the previous findings by Kawajiri et al. and the first observation of the positive association of this locus with lung cancer in a Western population (Kawajiri K, Nakachi K, Imai K, Yoshii A, Shimada N, Watanabe J. FEBS Let 1990; 263, 131-133). Furthermore, together with the lack of association of Msp I polymorphism in the non-coding region of CYP1A1, the locus truly responsible for lung cancer risk among pleural polymorphisms of CYP1A1 appeared to be exon 7 Ile-Val polymorphism. In the future, investigations of multiple markers in different ethnic populations may reveal cancer risk markers common to all mankind.

Base Sequence↗