Cloning and expression of cDNA encoding bovine liver dihydrodiol dehydrogenase 3, DD3.
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Amino Acid Sequence↗
Biomedical subjects
J Nishikawa
Publications and source records attributed to J Nishikawa.
Hepatocyte growth factor in assessment of acute pancreatitis: comparison with C-reactive protein and interleukin-6.
Serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined at the time of admission in 38 patients with acute pancreatitis. The clinical utility of HGF for the detection of severe pancreatitis and for predicting prognosis, bacterial infection (infected pancreatic necrosis or sepsis), and organ dysfunction (liver, kidney, and lung) during the clinical course of acute pancreatitis was compared with the clinical utility of CRP and IL-6 by analysis of receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves. The optimum cutoff levels of HGF for severity, prognosis, infection, hepatic dysfunction, renal dysfunction, and respiratory dysfunction were 0.9, 1.1, 1.0, 1.1, 1.1, and 1.0 ng/ml, respectively. HGF was as useful as CRP and more useful than IL-6 for detection of severe pancreatitis and for predicting hepatic dysfunction. Moreover, HGF was more useful than CRP or IL-6 for predicting prognosis, renal dysfunction, and respiratory dysfunction. However, for predicting infection, CRP was more useful than HGF. These results suggest that serum HGF levels on admission may be a useful new clinical parameter for determining the prognosis of acute pancreatitis and that HGF may be closely related to the organ dysfunction of acute pancreatitis.
Acute Disease↗
Flow characteristics of soft-tissue vascular anomalies evaluated by direct puncture scintigraphy.
Soft-tissue vascular anomalies such as haemangioma and vascular malformation are treated by surgical resection, arterial embolization or sclerotherapy. Because the effect of sclerotherapy, i.e. the percutaneous injection of sclerosing agents, depends on intralesional haemodynamics, estimation of flow characteristics of soft-tissue vascular anomalies is essential when determining appropriate patient management. However, lesions are at present divided into only two groups: high flow and low flow. We have developed a new method, direct puncture scintigraphy, to evaluate in detail the haemodynamics of vascular anomalies under conditions simulating sclerotherapy. Twenty-six soft-tissue vascular anomalies in 21 patients were studied. After 30 MBq of technetium-99m Sn colloid was injected percutaneously into the intravascular space of the lesion, dynamic imaging was performed for 5 min. A time-activity curve for the lesion was generated, with the infiltrated activity on injection subtracted. A monoexponential curve was fitted to the declining phase of the time-activity curve, and mean vascular transit time (MTT) was obtained. The lesions were classified into high-flow and low-flow lesions based on radionuclide angiography with intravenous injection of 99mTc-labelled red blood cells, and estimates of MTT in the two groups were compared. The imaging procedures were carried out with no major complications, and broad intralesional diffusion of 99mTc-Sn colloid was achieved in most lesions. The high-flow lesions (six lesions) had a short MTT, ranging from 1.6 to 3.4 s, while the low-flow lesions (20 lesions) had a longer MTT, with no overlap between the groups. MTT showed a wide range in low-flow lesions: it was less than 30 s in six lesions and more than 10 min in five other lesions. Direct puncture scintigraphy provides a quantitative indicator of the flow characteristics of soft-tissue vascular anomalies, and may aid in determining treatment strategies for patients with vascular anomalies.
Adolescent↗
Effect of deadtime loss on quantitative measurement of cerebral blood flow with technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime.
Deadtime count loss may cause error in quantitative measurements with a gamma camera. We evaluated the effect of deadtime loss on the measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Radionuclide angiography with technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) was performed in 20 patients. A reference source was placed on the periphery of the detector to monitor deadtime loss, and CBF was calculated based on the data of radionuclide angiography with and without deadtime correction. In ten patients injected with 1110 MBq of the tracer, the CBF value without correction was 9.9%+/-1.8% higher than that with correction. This shows that deadtime loss may cause significant overestimation. The difference between CBF values obtained with and without correction was smaller in ten patients with an injected dose of 370 MBq (3.0%+/-1.2%). These results suggest a substantial effect of deadtime loss on CBF as measured by radionuclide angiography and 99mTc-HMPAO.
Adolescent↗
An evidence-based approach to the clinical examination.
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Aged↗
Effect of mastication on regional cerebral blood flow in humans examined by positron-emission tomography with ¹⁵O-labelled water and magnetic resonance imaging.
The interaction between mastication and cerebral blood flow was studied in 12 healthy volunteers (five males and seven females) aged 18-40 years. Positron-emission tomography (PET) autoradiography was carried out after bolus injection of 1.5 GBq H₂¹⁵O (¹⁵O-labelled water) with a half life of 2 min. The PET images were superimposed on magnetic resonance images of each participant. The regional cerebral blood flow images were normalized by the global cerebral blood flow value, and subtraction images (those during gum-chewing minus those during resting) were created and recut at the magnetic resonance image slice positions. Gum specially designed for chewing training was used. Mastication increased regional cerebral blood flow in the primary sensorimotor areas by 25-28%, in the supplementary motor areas and insulae by 9-17%, and in the cerebellum and striatum by 8-11%. These increases demonstrate that chewing activates widespread regions of the brain.
Adolescent↗
Endoscopic and pathologic features of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma.
BACKGROUND: Although the presence of Epstein-Barr virus has been documented in approximately 7% of patients with gastric carcinoma, the clinical features of Epstein-Barr virus-associated carcinoma have not been well documented. We studied the histologic and endoscopic characteristics of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma. METHODS: We tested 124 gastric carcinomas from 117 patients using in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus encoded small RNA1. The histologic and endoscopic findings in the Epstein-Barr virus-associated groups and the negative control groups were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: Twelve tumors (9.7%) were identified as Epstein-Barr virus associated. These lesions were located mainly in the upper part of the stomach (p < .05) and had a diffuse-type histology (p < .05) compared with those in the control group. Six of seven (85.7%) early Epstein-Barr virus-associated lesions were type 0 IIc (superficial depressed) or a combined type, and 42.9% were accompanied by submucosal nodules of carcinoma with lymphoid stroma. Four of five (80%) advanced Epstein-Barr virus-associated tumors were type 3 (ulcerated without definite limits), thought to be the advanced shape of superficial depressed lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinomas often appear as superficial depressed or ulcerated lesions in the upper part of the stomach and have a diffuse-type histology with lymphoid infiltration.
Adult↗
Biodegradation of aniline, anthracene, chlornitrophen, fenitrothion and linear alkylbenzene sulphonate in pond water.
Biodegradation of five chemicals (aniline, anthracene, chlornitrophen (CNP), fenitrothion (FNT) and linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS)) by aquatic bacteria in three different types of ponds was determined according to the cultivation method developed by this group. The degradability toward these chemicals was varied among the ponds, except for LAS which was decomposed well in all samples. Higher degradability towards the two agrochemicals, CNT and FNT, was found in the pond surrounded by paddy fields, whereas aniline and anthracene were decomposed more rapidly in the pond located in the industrial area. Water from the pond in the botanical garden, with the least exposure to any chemicals, exhibited the lowest degradation toward all chemicals tested. There was no significant seasonal variation in the biodegradation of chemicals in these ponds. It was deduced that biodegradability toward certain chemicals could be a result of acclimatization of the microbial community by chemical contamination present and past, suggesting the possible use of biodegradation profiles as an indicator for chemical pollution in the aquatic environment.
Biodegradation, Environmental↗
Identification of a novel vitamin D response element from the rat genome.
1 alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3], the active form of vitamin D3, has been thought to be a multifunctional agent. In order to discover novel roles of 1,25-(OH)2D3, we have been looking for new genes that are regulated by 1,25-(OH)2D3. Because the actions of 1,25-(OH)2D3 are mediated through the vitamin D receptor (VDR), that is a DNA binding transcription factor, vitamin D regulated genes should have VDR binding sites in their regulatory regions. In this paper, we describe a novel vitamin D response element (VDRE)-containing sequence, clone 3, which was isolated through binding to VDR. DNA sequence analysis of clone 3 did not reveal any significant similarity with sequences reported previously. Clone 3 had two regions consisting of a direct repeated sequence of AGTTCA motifs, both of which bound to VDR independently. Whereas each direct repeat sequence alone could not mediate transcriptional activation efficiently, with their co-existence there was a strong response to 1,25-(OH)2D3, indicating that these two direct repeated sequences act cooperatively.
Animals↗
Effect of angiotensin II on arteriovenous shunting assessed by hepatic arterial perfusion scintigraphy.
Angiotensin II (AT II) has been reported to improve drug delivery in intraarterial chemotherapy for hepatic tumors. We studied the effect of this agent on arteriovenous (AV) shunting in the liver. Eleven patients with hepatic tumors and an indwelling catheter in the hepatic artery underwent hepatic arterial perfusion scintigraphy with and without AT II infusion. At baseline, following the administration of technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin (Tc-99m MAA) through the catheter, static images of the upper abdomen and whole-body anterior and posterior images were obtained. Two to 14 days later, AT II was infused via the catheter one minute prior to Tc-99m MAA injection, and imaging was performed in the same way as the baseline study. Visual interpretation of the static images showed improvement of drug delivery to the hepatic tumors in eight of 11 patients and no changes in the remaining patients. The percent injected dose in the lungs assessed quantitatively using the whole-body images increased in all patients, suggesting enhancement of AV shunt flow. It was concluded that intraarterial infusion of AT II increases AV shunting in the liver with better targeting to hepatic tumors.
Adult↗
Lymphoscintigraphy using Tc-99m human serum albumin in chylothorax.
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Aged↗
[Diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma and its background gastric mucosa].
Recently, the presence of Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) in almost 7% of gastric carcinoma lesions was reported. From our observation, EBV-associated gastric carcinomas located mainly in the gastric body, and moderate to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with lymphoid infiltration, as currently reported. Macroscopically, there were mainly thick and ulcerated lesions, EBV-associated gastric carcinomas had close relation with intestinal metaplasia, and EBV could be suspected to provide the immortalized epithelial cells.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Metabolism of technetium-99m-L,L-ethyl cysteinate dimer in rat and cynomolgus monkey tissue.
UNLABELLED: Technetium-99m-L,L-ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc-ECD) is thought to be hydrolyzed in the brain by an enzyme and to be trapped as a hydrophilic product. We investigated the characteristics of the enzymatic system that metabolizes 99mTc-ECD. METHODS: In 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), 99mTc-ECD was incubated with various concentrations of homogenates of rat tissues (blood, liver and brain) or cynomolgus monkey tissues (blood, liver, cerebral gray matter, cerebral white matter and cerebellar gray matter), and the metabolic rates were assessed. Inhibition studies were performed using diisopropyl fluorophosphate, eserine and p-chloromercuribenzoate as inhibitors. The metabolic rates in the brain homogenates of rat and monkey were measured at various levels of pH, ranging from 6.6 to 7.6. Technetium-99m-L,L-ethyl cysteinate dimer metabolism was also examined in the presence of purified enzymes. RESULTS: In both species, the metabolic rate was high in liver tissue, intermediate in brain tissue and low in blood. The rate in cerebral gray matter of cynomolgus monkey was higher than those in rat brain, monkey cerebral white matter and monkey cerebellar gray matter. All substances used as inhibitors depressed 99mTc-ECD metabolism, and the response was different among tissues. Reduction in pH induced slight decreases in metabolic rate. Hydrophilic conversion of 99mTc-ECD was observed after incubation with porcine liver carboxylesterase. CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis that the hydrophilic conversion of 99mTc-ECD is mediated by enzymes. It is also suggested that various enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of 99mTc-ECD and that the enzymatic system that metabolizes 99mTc-ECD is different between tissues and between species.
Acetylcholinesterase↗
Neural network-based PET image reconstruction.
In PET image analysis, conventional deconvolution alone will not give sufficient information for a precise study of a localized brain function. In the deconvolution process, which is a type of inverse problem, it is important to confine the solution space by incorporating a priori knowledge such as the tissue distribution given by MR images as well as smoothness in the blood flow distribution profile. An MR-embedded neural-network model is described to reduce the partial volume effect in the restoration of blood flow profiles from PET images.
Brain↗
Reduced coronary flow reserve in hypercholesterolemic patients without overt coronary stenosis.
BACKGROUND: Reduced coronary flow reserve (CFR) in hypercholesterolemic patients without evidence of ischemia has been reported. However, it remains uncertain whether this abnormality occurs without overt coronary atherosclerosis. This study aimed to clarify whether CFR is impaired even in anatomically normal coronary arteries in hypercholesterolemic patients and to compare CFR between familial hypercholesterolemic (FH) patients and secondary hypercholesterolemic (SH) patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-two patients with hypercholesterolemia (11 FH, 11 SH) and 11 control subjects were studied. Baseline myocardial blood flow (MBF) and MBF during dipyridamole loading were measured in segments perfused by angiographically normal coronary arteries with the use of positron emission tomography and 13N-ammonia, and CFR was calculated. Baseline MBF (mL/min per 100 g heart wt) in FH (81.3 +/- 31.4) and SH (70.0 +/- 20.7) patients was not different from that in control subjects (75.0 +/- 34.9). However, MBF during dipyridamole loading was significantly lower in FH patients (129 +/- 19.1) than in control subjects (322 +/- 174, P < .01) and SH patients (210 +/- 71.2, P < .01). CFR in FH patients (1.59 +/- 0.41) was also significantly lower compared with both control subjects (4.22 +/- 1.42, P < .01) and SH patients (3.00 +/- 0.96, P < .01). CFR in SH patients was also significantly lower than that in control subjects (P < .05). CFR correlated significantly with both plasma total cholesterol (r = .67, P < .01) and LDL cholesterol concentrations (r = .69, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: CFR was decreased even in anatomically normal coronary arteries in hypercholesterolemic patients. This abnormality was more prominent in FH patients.
Blood Pressure↗
A p300/CBP-associated factor that competes with the adenoviral oncoprotein E1A.
The adenoviral oncoprotein E1A induces progression through the cell cycle by binding to the products of the p300/CBP and retinoblastoma gene families. A new cellular p300/CBP-associated factor (P/CAF) having intrinsic histone acetylase activity has been identified that competes with E1A. Exogenous expression of P/CAF in HeLa cells inhibits cell-cycle progression and counteracts the mitogenic activity of E1A. E1A disturbs the normal cellular interaction between p300/CBP and its associated histone acetylase.
Acetyltransferases↗
Isolation of a genomic DNA fragment having negative vitamin D response element.
The vitamin D receptor (VDR) binds to the vitamin D response element (VDRE) in the promoter region of target genes and acts as a ligand-dependent transcriptional regulator. In order to identify novel VDREs and new genes that are regulated by the active form of vitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D3], rat genomic DNA fragments bound by VDR were isolated. One of these fragments, designated as VBF5 was transcribed and the transcript was down-regulated by 1,25-(OH)2D3. These data strongly indicate that VBF5 may contain a VDRE regulating negatively an unidentified gene expression.
Animals↗
Evaluation of gamma camera-based measurement of individual kidney function using iodine-123 orthoiodohippurate.
Gamma camera-based clearance techniques which use the renal uptake ratio (RUR) of the radiotracer are available to estimate the effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and glomerular filtration rate. To evaluate the accuracy of these techniques, we measured RUR by an optimized procedure and compared it with standard ERPF. Iodine-123 orthoiodohippurate (OIH) scintigraphy and simultaneous para-aminohippurate clearance study for measuring standard ERPF were performed in three hospitals in 24 patients with normal or mildly impaired renal function. 123I-OIH was injected intravenously and 10-s consecutive imaging of the kidneys was started when the abdominal aorta was seen. The attenuation coefficient for 123I was measured in each hospital using the same water-equivalent absorption materials and used for the attenuation correction. After subtracting background radioactivity, RURs were defined as the count ratios of fractional renal uptakes based on the integral from 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 1.5 to 2.5 and 1 to 3 min after the injection of 123I-OIH in relation to injected doses using the following three procedures in respect of attenuation correction: (1) RUR without attenuation correction, (2) RUR with fractional renal uptake corrected by the measured attenuation coefficient, (3) RUR with the total injected dose corrected by the absorption material. To decide upon the appropriate correction method and time interval, RURs were compared with standard ERPF. Among the three correction methods, procedure 2 showed the highest correlation between RUR and standard ERPF, but the correlation coefficient was low (r=0.75). No significant difference was observed among the RURs of each time interval. Individual kidney function measured from early renal uptake may be inaccurate even when appropriate correction is made for attenuation, background activity or time lag between injection and data acquisition. Gamma camera-based measurement of renal function using 123I-OIH is limited with regard to accuracy and reproducibility, though it is convenient and non-invasive.
Adult↗