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Biomedical subjects

K Araki

Publications and source records attributed to K Araki.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Three-dimensional organization of lymphatics in the dog stomach: a scanning electron microscopic study of corrosion casts.

The three-dimensional organization of the lymphatics in the dog stomach was studied by scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts, which were made by direct parenchymal injection of low-viscosity Mercox-resin into the mucosa and the muscular layers. Although the organization of lymphatics in the stomach has been studied by a variety of methods, the origin of the lymphatics and their connection in each layer has not been clearly defined. In this study, using dog stomach because of its structural similarity to the human stomach, we defined the lymphatic structure in all gastric layers, with lymphatics absent in the upper two-thirds of the lamina propria mucosae. They were first encountered at the deepest level of the lamina propria, immediately above the lamina muscularis mucosae. These lymphatics were composed of single-layered irregular meshes. Slender lymphatics arising from this network passed through the lamina muscular is mucosae and drained into the lymphatic plexus, which was composed of thicker lymphatics at the uppermost layer of the submucosa. Lymphatic valves were frequently seen in this plexus. From this plexus, slender connecting lymphatics with valves extended straight downward without lateral communications and drained into the lymphatic plexus at the deepest layer of the submucosa. This latter plexus, composed of large-caliber lymphatics, issued flattened lymphatics which formed a three-dimensional network in the muscular layer. The subserosal lymphatics were composed of thick lymphatics with tortuous courses and drained into the efferent lymphatics.

Animals↗

[Surgical treatment for recrudescent Stanford type A early closing dissection].

Two cases of recrudescent Stanford type A dissection were reported. They had non-opacified false channel on their initial CT and aortography. The first case was 65-year-old woman having a stable blood pressure and no chest pain after admission. However, recrudescent opacified false lumen was found at the mid-ascending aorta about three weeks later. She received ascending aortic replacement on 26th day after onset. The second case was 66-year-old woman having a unstable blood pressure and having periodic chest pain and back pain after admission. CT and angiography performed on the 41th day after onset revealed recrudescent descending aortic dissection and ulcer like projection at mid-ascending aorta. The ulcer like projection increased in size gradually. Ascending aorta replacement was performed on 110th day after onset. Two cases had a good post operative days. Some cases of Stanford type A early closing aortic dissection had recrudescent dissection later, even if they had a stable course after onset. Thus, careful follow up for long term is essential in these cases

Aged↗

Tandem operation of a turbo blood pump (BP-80--type centrifugal pump) to reduce hemolysis.

When operating turbo blood pumps in tandem, the strength of shear stress is reduced, but the exposure duration of the stress is increased. The purpose of this experiment was to compare the degree of contribution of these two factors on hemolysis as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the tandem operation of turbo blood pumps. Tandem operation of two Bio-pumps (BP-80; Medtronics Bio-medicus, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minnesota, U.S.A.) were compared with single operation of a BP-80 in in vitro hemolysis tests in three different driving conditions, that is, pumping heads of 200, 350, and 500 mm Hg under a pump flow rate of 5 L/min. The Allen's hemolytic indexes of the tandem operation at pumping heads of 200, 350, and 500 mm Hg were 0.014, 0.020, and 0.080 mg/dl, respectively. The hemolytic indexes of the single operation at pumping heads of 200, 35, and 500 mm Hg were 0.014, 0.056, and 0.12 mg/dl, respectively. These results indicate that tandem operation is a useful method of reducing hemolysis with the BP-80 under high pumping heads and that the effect on hemolysis of exposure to higher shear stresses may be more serious than that of longer durations of exposure to shear stress in turbo blood pumps.

Animals↗

Electron microscopic study of the morphological changes of gastric mucous cell induced by Helicobacter pylori in human gastric ulcers.

Specimens from 8 cases of human gastric ulcers infected with H. pylori, 3 cases of gastric ulcers without H. pylori infection and mucosal specimens infected with H. pylori from 3 cases of early gastric cancers obtained at surgery were studied by transmission electron microscopy. In the surrounding epithelium of the ulcer, when present, the bacteria were preferentially located at the luminal side of the apical junctional complexes. This was accompanied by dome-like bulging of the apical cytoplasm, but the epithelial continuity was maintained. A consistent finding was the apocrine-like release of the apical cytoplasm into the lumen. In addition, there were cells with marked apical protrusions and cells with dissolution of mucous granules. Degenerative changes, such as cellular edema, vacuole formation and disruption of cell membrane were also observed. The cells which had shed their apical mucous area appeared to degenerate causing massive cell exfoliation and formation of denuded lamina propria. Similar changes of the surface mucous cells were observed in the mucosal specimens infected with H. pylori obtained from early gastric cancers, but such cell pathology was scarce in samples of the gastric ulcers without H. pylori infection. In some ulcers infected with H. pylori, the bacteria were also observed on the surface of the regenerating epithelial cells at the ulcer base. These findings suggest that H. pylori infection is an important factor in the development of gastric ulcers and in the prevention or delay in ulcer healing.

Gastric Mucosa↗

Determination of the prognostic significance of unscheduled cyclin A overexpression in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The expression of cyclin A protein was retrospectively investigated in 124 patients with human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with immunohistochemical techniques using antibody to cyclin A protein (BF683). Of 124 tumors, 49 (39.5%) exhibited positive staining in cancer cells with this antibody. Staining was observed predominantly but not exclusively in the nucleus. A significantly higher degree of association of immunoreactivity with this antibody was detected for advanced types of tumors (stages I, II, III, and IV) than for early tumors (stage 0; P < 0.05). Patients with cyclin A immunopositivity had a significantly poorer survival rate than did other patients (P < 0.01). These findings provide the first evidence for frequent and unscheduled overexpression of cyclin A protein in human esophageal cancer and suggest the possibility that alteration of cyclin A overexpression is associated with tumor progression and patient prognosis for esophageal cancers.

Aged↗

Classic steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency caused by a C-->G transversion in exon 7 of CYP11B1.

Steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency (11 beta OHD) is derived from mutations in the P45011 beta gene (CYP11B1) and inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. In the present study, we have performed a molecular genetic analysis of CYP11B1 in a Japanese patient clinically diagnosed as classic 11 beta OHD. Nucleotide sequencing of the PCR-amplified exons from the patient's genomic DNA reveals a unique C-->G transversion that converts codon 384 CGA (arginine) to GGA (glycine) in exon 7. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) data demonstrate that the patient is homozygous for this mutation. When the full-length cDNA corresponding to CYP11B1 of the patient is transfected into COS-7 cells, no steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase activity is detectable in mitochondria of the cells. These results indicate that this point mutation completely abolishes P45011 beta activity and causes the classic 11 beta OHD.

Adolescent↗

Purification and characterization of Rab GDI beta from rat brain.

A new Rab GDI was purified from the synaptic soluble fraction of rat brain by several column chromatographies as a protein that inhibited the dissociation of [3H]GDP from Rab3A but was not recognized by an anti-Rab GDI alpha antibody. The partial amino acid sequence analysis revealed that it was identical with rat Rab GDI beta. Purified Rab GDI beta showed the kinetic properties similar to those of Rab GDI alpha, including the inhibitory effect on the dissociation of GDP from Rab3A, the substrate specificity, the requirement of the post-translational lipid modifications of Rab3A, the stoichiometric interaction with the GDP-bound form of Rab3A, the inhibitory effect on the binding of Rab3A to erythrocyte ghosts, and the stimulatory effect on the dissociation of Rab3A from the membrane.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A 10-year experience of intraoperative radiotherapy for gastric carcinoma and a new surgical method of creating a wider irradiation field for cases of total gastrectomy patients.

PURPOSE: To improve the prognosis of gastric cancer, radical surgical resection with extensive lymph node dissection plus intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) was tried in our clinic. In addition, a new operative procedure was created to obtain wider irradiation field for total gastrectomy patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 183 gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastrectomy with or without IORT from August 1983 to July 1992 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of 58 patients who underwent radical operation plus IORT. A single dose of 28 to 30 Gy was delivered around the celiac axis with an electron beam of 12 MeV. Group 2, our historical control group, which showed no difference in age, sex and stage, consisted of 120 patients who underwent only radical surgery. In addition, a new method of total gastrectomy with IORT after mobilization of the tail and body of the pancreas was devised to get wider irradiation field for advanced gastric cancer. RESULTS: Of the Stage II gastric cancer patients, all the 11 patients of group 1 are alive, whereas in group 2, the 4-year and the 8-year survival rates were 60% and 48%, respectively. In Stage III patients, the 8-year survival rate of group 1 was 55% vs. 35% in group 2. As for Stage IV patients, the 5-year survival rate of group 1 was 12% and that of group 2 was 13%. CONCLUSION: Using this combined treatment modality of radical surgical operation+IORT, improved survival rates were obtained for Stage II and III gastric cancer patients. However, the method was ineffective for more advanced, Stage IV, patients. The wider irradiation field method used for total gastrectomy patients was safe and no complications were encountered.

Adult↗

Impairment of motor coordination, Purkinje cell synapse formation, and cerebellar long-term depression in GluR delta 2 mutant mice.

Of the six glutamate receptor (GluR) channel subunit families identified by molecular cloning, five have been shown to constitute either the AMPA, kainate, or NMDA receptor channel, whereas the function of the delta subunit family remains unknown. The selective localization of the delta 2 subunit of the GluR delta subfamily in cerebellar Purkinje cells prompted us to examine its possible physiological roles by the gene targeting technique. Analyses of the GluR delta 2 mutant mice reveal that the delta 2 subunit plays important roles in motor coordination, formation of parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses and climbing fiber-Purkinje cell synapses, and long-term depression of parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synaptic transmission. These results suggest a close relationship between synaptic plasticity and synapse formation in the cerebellum.

Animals↗

Suppression of LTD in cultured Purkinje cells deficient in the glutamate receptor delta 2 subunit.

Involvement of the glutamate receptor channel delta 2 subunit in cerebellar long-term depression (LTD) was studied in cultures prepared from wild-type and mutant mice deficient in the delta 2 subunit. LTD of the glutamate response was induced by pairing glutamate applications and depolarization of a Purkinje cell in wild-type culture. However, in cultured Purkinje cells prepared from mutant mice, the same conditioning failed to induce LTD. Immunocytological staining showed that mutant Purkinje cells develop and express calbindin (a marker protein for Purkinje cells) as do wild-type cells, but they express no delta 2 subunit protein. The results indicate that the glutamate receptor channel delta 2 subunit is involved in the postsynaptic down-regulation of glutamate sensitivity, presumably during cerebellar LTD.

Animals↗

Site-specific recombination of a transgene in fertilized eggs by transient expression of Cre recombinase.

An efficient method of transgene modulation in fertilized eggs has been developed that uses the Cre/loxP recombination system. Twelve transgenic mouse lines carrying a chicken beta-actin promoter-loxP-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene-loxP-beta-galactosidase gene construct were produced. After selection of the line showing the highest expression of the CAT gene in a variety of tissues, eggs of this line were injected in the male or female pronucleus with a Cre expression vector placed under the control of the chicken beta-actin promoter and kept in a circular form to avoid genomic integration. This resulted in a transient expression of Cre in the eggs, leading to recombination of the transgene as detected by galactosidase expression and DNA analysis. Recombination was completed before the morula stage with both types of pronuclear injections and occurred with a very high frequency; no mosaicism, no incomplete recombination, and no integration of the Cre sequence were observed in 18 mice born with this modified transgene. The beta-galactosidase gene was expressed in various tissues at levels comparable to those found for the CAT gene in the founder line. This Cre transient expression system should be useful for breeding transgenic lines in which transgene expression leads to sterility or lethality--in particular, for selecting transgenic lines with high expression of a potentially lethal transgene whose full activity is difficult to explore in a conventional transgenic system because of the risk of selecting for transgenic lines carrying only poorly expressed transgenes.

Actins↗

Transgenic mice expressing high levels of soluble TNF-R1 fusion protein are protected from lethal septic shock and cerebral malaria, and are highly sensitive to Listeria monocytogenes and Leishmania major infections.

Mice bearing a transgene coding for a soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type 1 (TNFR1)-FcIgG3 fusion protein and placed under the control of the alpha-1-antitrypsin gene promoter were generated. Depending on the mouse line, blood levels of the protein ranged from 25 ng/ml to over 100 micrograms/ml; this level of expression was most often transmitted to the transgene-bearing progeny as a relatively stable feature. High-expressor mice were completely resistant to lipopolysaccharide-induced shock and lethality, including after D-galactosamine sensitization, and mice expressing about 1 microgram of the fusion protein/ml were partially (60%) protected. In contrast, mice expressing less than 0.1 microgram of the protein/ml were more sensitive than controls with respect to incidence and time of death, even though the biological activity of serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was partially neutralized. High-expressor mice of the adequate genetic background were markedly, although not completely, protected from death by cerebral malaria after injection with Plasmodium berghei. They were highly susceptible to Listeria monocytogenes, dying from bacterial dissemination after sublethal infection, and to Leishmania major, displaying severe, non-healing lesions after local infection. Under the same conditions, mice expressing about 1 microgram protein/ml were only partially sensitive to these last agents, compared to non-transgenic littermate mice which were fully resistant. These transgenic mice represent a model of permanent, complete or partial, impairment of TNF use, which compares favorably, for ease of breeding and for the range of effects, to mice bearing gene disruptions.

Animals↗

Prevalence of dry eye in Japanese eye centers.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the investigation was to ascertain the prevalence of dry eye in new outpatients. METHODS: A total of 2127 consecutive new outpatients seen in eight Japanese centers from April 1992 to January 1993 underwent comprehensive examinations, including double vital staining and measurement of tear film break-up time, basal tear secretion, and tear clearance. Dry eye was diagnosed if patients had abnormalities of both the tear film and the ocular surface. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-nine patients (17%) had dry eye. There was no seasonal pattern for dry eye. The condition was significantly more common in Tokyo than in suburban areas (P < 0.01). The prevalence of dry eye in visual display terminal (VDT) users and contact lens (CL) wearers was significantly higher than in non-VDT users and non-CL wearers (P < 0.05 and P < 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that dry eye is one of the most common ocular disorders encountered by physicians. Furthermore, if patients use VDTs or wear CLs, the likelihood of dry eye occurring is higher.

Adolescent↗

A morphological study on the histogenesis of human colorectal hyperplastic polyps.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Little is known about the histogenesis of human colorectal hyperplastic polyp, although this polyp is clinically very common. Therefore, the structural features of the polyp and their implications regarding histogenesis were studied. METHODS: A total of 261 foci were examined using scanning electronmicroscopic observation of the isolated crypt and surface structure, NaOH cell maceration and scanning electron microscopy, dissecting microscopy, and standard histological analysis. RESULTS: In surface view, each polyp crypt was discretely demarcated as in the normal crypt, suggesting that the crypt epithelium had not replaced the adjoining crypt. Notches at the base and various stages of branching, observed in 21.8% of the isolated crypts, were considered to reflect crypt fission. Several polyps with a single crypt mouth consisting of fissioned multiple crypts suggested polyp origin from a single crypt and growth by fission. Juxtaposition of small polyps and their fusion suggested polycentric origin. Almost all polyps showed increased stromal inflammatory cell infiltration and/or a lymphoid follicle at the base. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperplastic polyps originate by the apparent fusion of single abnormal crypts within a small region of mucosa. The polyps grow by fission of the crypt and fusion of the polycentrically originated polyps. Chronic inflammation has some relation to this process.

Adenoma↗

Geographical variations in mutagenicity of blue rayon extracts of Japanese human bile.

The mutagenicity of human bile was investigated in the Ames test after blue rayon treatment. In the present study, 52 and 59 bile samples were collected from the high and the low risk population for gallbladder cancer (GBC), respectively. The bile mutagenicity was detected only when the blue rayon extracts of bile were assayed with Salmonella typhimurium TA98 in the presence of S9 mix. Thirty-two (61.5%) of 52 samples obtained from the high risk population were mutagenic. In our previous study (Mano et al., 1993), the mutagenicity was observed in 14 (58.3%) of 24 samples. After combining this data with the results of the present study, 46 (60.5%) of 76 samples revealed the mutagenicity. On the other hand, the mutagenicity was detected in only 7 (11.9%) of 59 samples collected from the low risk population. Therefore, we found a significant geographical difference in the bile mutagenicity.

Adult↗