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Biomedical subjects

K Araki

Publications and source records attributed to K Araki.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

A new method for palliation of malignant obstructive jaundice utilizing a peritoneo-venous shunt pump.

A new simple palliative method for use in malignant obstructive jaundice is presented. This method is particularly effective in the prevention of ascending infections. The method consists of interposing a one-way flow shunt pump (peritoneo-venous shunt pump) between a bile catheter and a jejunal catheter. Four patients were treated with this new method. Jaundice improved significantly in all patients. They had a much better quality of life with no serious complications during the terminal course. This less invasive and safe procedure is preferred for patients who have extrahepatic biliary obstruction due to incurable malignant tumors.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Pravastatin-induced changes in receptor-mediated metabolism of low density lipoprotein in guinea pigs.

The effect of pravastatin, an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, on the metabolism of human low density lipoprotein (LDL) was examined in guinea pigs. Pravastatin treatment significantly reduced plasma levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol by 15.6 mg/dl (38.8%) and 12.7 mg/dl (42.9%), respectively. We investigated the metabolism of LDL in pravastatin-treated and untreated guinea pigs using the simultaneous intravenous injection of 131I-labeled LDL and 125I-labeled, galactose-treated LDL to quantify the LDL receptor pathway. Pravastatin increased the fractional catabolic rate (FCR) of the LDL receptor-dependent pathway. The treatment with pravastatin did not alter the FCR of the LDL receptor-independent pathway. The FCR of the LDL receptor-dependent pathway was higher for LDL isolated from pravastatin-treated subjects than for LDL isolated from control subjects. These findings suggest that pravastatin mainly reduced plasma cholesterol levels by accelerated FCR of the LDL receptor-mediated pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Scanning electron microscopic study of the three-dimensional structure of the collagen networks of gastric cancer.

The three-dimensional structure of the collagen networks in human gastric carcinoma was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after treatment with the cell-maceration method using a low temperature NaOH solution. Based on stromal content, the poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma can be divided into the medullary carcinoma area and the scirrhous carcinoma area. In the medullary carcinoma, the collagen sheath around the small tumor cell acinus formed spherical chambers (20-30 microns in diameter) with fenestrations (about 5 microns in diameter) connecting the chambers. The collagen sheath was composed of fine collagen fibrils (about 50 nm in diameter). In the scirrhous area, there was abundant fibrous stroma composed of thicker collagen fibrils (about 100 nm in diameter). Tiny tumor cell nests were sporadically seen in the fibrous stroma. These tumor nests were surrounded by collagen fibrils (about 50 nm in diameter). In the moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma, the tumors were surrounded by spherical, ovoid or irregular shaped thick collagen sheaths (50-200 microns in diameter), which were composed of loosely packed 50 nm collagen fibrils. In well differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma, tumor glands were surrounded by spherical, ovoid or irregularly-shaped thick collagen sheaths (50-200 microns in diameter), composed of densely arranged fine collagen fibrils. In papillary carcinoma, the collagen sheaths were nipple-shaped. They were composed of very densely arranged fine collagen fibrils (about 50 nm in diameter).

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

Scanning electron microscopic study of the collagen sheath of the human thyroid gland and its disorders.

A cell-maceration/scanning electron microscope (SEM) method was employed to demonstrate the collagen sheath around follicles (perifollicular sheath) of the human thyroid gland and its disorders. In the normal thyroid gland, the follicles were surrounded by spherical collagen sheaths composed of a framework of thick collagen bands 1-5 microns in width and fine solitary collagen fibrils 50-70 nm in diameter. In benign thyroid diseases (Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and adenomatous goiter), the perifollicular sheaths differed in size and in shape according to the disease, but they were always composed of thick collagen bands and fine fibrils as in the normal thyroid. On the other hand, the spaces surrounded by the perifollicular sheaths varied markedly in size in follicular adenoma, were small in oxyphilic adenoma, and irregularly shaped in embryonal adenoma. In all these adenomas, the perifollicular sheaths were mainly composed of fine fibrils 35-45 nm in diameter. In follicular carcinoma, the size and shape of the space surrounded by the perifollicular sheaths were irregular. In papillary adenocarcinoma, the collagen sheaths showed a papillary pattern. In medullary carcinoma, tumor nests were surrounded by well developed collagen sheaths. In all these carcinomas, the collagen sheaths were mainly composed of fine collagen fibrils 32-45 nm in diameter. In adenomas and follicular carcinoma, the perifollicular sheaths frequently had large holes through which the spaces surrounded by the collagen sheaths connected to each other. Such holes were, however, rare in the normal thyroid and benign non-neoplastic thyroid diseases.

Collagen↗
PubMed1994

Colorectal carcinoma metastatic to skeletal muscle.

Skeletal muscle is one of the most unusual sites of metastasis from any malignancy. We report on a case of skeletal muscle metastasis from colonic carcinoma, and review seven previously reported cases. The patient was a 66-year-old man who exhibited a painful metastatic mass in the right major teres muscle six months after surgery for colonic carcinoma. He underwent three operations and one course of arterial infusion chemotherapy, but died of carcinoma after two years and seven months. In seven previous cases and in the present case (3 males and 5 females, aged between 30 and 75 years), the sites of the primary lesion and metastatic lesion in skeletal muscle were diverse. The interval between primary carcinoma and relapse ranged from synchronous to 5 years. Spontaneous pain in the recurrent region was a characteristic symptom. Surgical removal of the metastatic lesions relieved pain. Prognosis was considered poor. However, complete resection of the metastatic lesion at a time when no other recurrent lesions were present might have cured the patient.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

[Serum and tissue levels of cefodizime in the pediatric patients].

We administrated cefodizime (40 mg/kg) to 13 patients with simple herniorrhaphy in the pediatric field and determined its concentrations in tissues and serums. The mean serum and tissue levels of cefodizime after administration were 43.1 +/- 13.3 micrograms/ml, and 23.1 +/- 6.4 micrograms/g, respectively, at 3 hours. Cefodizime concentrations of the tissue and serum were maintained at relatively high levels for many hours. The ratio of cefodizime concentrations in tissue to serum became high at 3 hours after administration, and this suggests that tissue concentrations decreased more slowly than serum levels, and cefodizime concentrations in tissue were maintained at fairly high levels over a long period. No side effects caused by cefodizime were observed. From pharmacokinetic and clinical observations, cefodizime appears to be a safe and effective injectable antibiotic for the treatment of infections in children.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1994

[Relationships between serum lipid peroxide level (serum TBA level) and smoking, alcohol drinking, food frequency, serum vitamin C and E in subjects with multiphasic screening].

Relationships between serum thiobarbituric acid (TBA) level and smoking, alcohol drinking, differences in food intake with alcohol drinking, serum vitamin C (VC) and E (VE) were studied in 283 non-treated men (aged 20-69 years) who visited a human dock conducted in an urban area of Hyogo prefecture in 1989-1991 (annually May-July). The results were as follows: 1. An effect of smoking on serum TBA level was not observed. 2. The subjects were divided into three groups according to weekly sake intake levels, i.e., non-drinkers including ex-drinkers (ND), mild drinkers (MD, weekly sake intake: < or = 1260 ml), and heavy drinkers (HD, > 1260 ml). The serum TBA level of HD, but not of MD, was significantly higher than that of ND. 3. Serum TBA level had significant positive correlations with age, GPT, gamma-GTP, TC (total cholesterol), TG (triglycerides), PL (phospholipids), total serum lipids (TLP, i.e., TC+TG+PL), VE, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6), but had no significant correlations with VC and VE/TLP. 4. The subjects (N+M) D, which included ND and MD, and those of HD were divided respectively into three groups according to weekly food intake levels, i.e., non-intake group (NF), low frequent intake group (LF, 1-3 days/week), and high frequent intake group (HF, > or = 4 days/week). The fish intake level of HD was significantly higher than that of (N+M) D, while the intake levels of vegetables, fruits and soft drinks of HD were significantly lower than those of (N+M) D. 5. Serum TBA level, GOT, GPT, gamma-GTP, TG, PL, TLP, VE, EPA and DHA of HD were significantly higher than those of (N+M) D. On the other hand, VC of HD was significantly lower than that of (N+M) D. 6. When the subjects of (N+M) D were divided into three groups according to weekly fish intake levels as mentioned above, serum TBA level, EPA and DHA of HF in (N+M) D were significantly higher than those of NF in (N+M) D. 7. Serum TBA level of HD in non-fish intake group was significantly higher than that of (N+M) D in the same group. These results suggest that increased serum TBA level in HD is closely related to the increased intake frequency of fish in addition to the effect of alcohol drinking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Automated simultaneous measurements of activity and antigenicity of plasma antithrombin III].

Plasma antithrombin III activity and concentration were measured simultaneously on COBAS MIRA-S by colorimetry using a synthetic substrate and by immunoturbidimetry, respectively, in normal subjects (n = 30), in patients with liver disease (n = 37), and in those with thrombosis (n = 76). The activity/concentration ratio of plasma antithrombin III, in which concentration was represented as the ratio to the mean concentration for normal, was evaluated in each group. Results showed that the ratio was significantly lower in patients with liver diseases (0.76 +/- 0.18, mean +/- SD, p < 0.01) and in thrombotic patients (0.89 +/- 0.18, p < 0.01) than that in normal (1.07 +/- 0.06), demonstrating the predominance of antithrombin III molecules with low activity in the former groups. This simple and rapid (< 10 min) method is applicable for detecting such the constitutional change in plasma antithrombin III.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Distribution of androgen receptors in bulbo-spinal muscular atrophy].

Immunohistochemical staining with anti-androgen receptor (AR) antibody was performed in skeletal muscle specimens obtained from 3 cases with bulbo-spinal muscular atrophy (BSMA) and 12 cases with other neuromuscular disease. Anti-AR antibody staining was found exclusively in the muscle nuclei of Type 2A fibers in all of the 3 cases. But there was no positive staining in the muscle nuclei of other disease. As above mentioned, very specific immuno-staining of AR in skeletal muscle would be of benefit to diagnosis of BSMA in addition to identification of a mutation of AR gene.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Selective expression of the glutamate receptor channel delta 2 subunit in cerebellar Purkinje cells.

The primary structure of a putative subunit of the mouse glutamate receptor channel, designated as the delta 2 subunit, has been deduced by cloning and sequencing the cDNA. The delta 2 subunit has four putative transmembrane segments characteristic for neurotransmitter-gated ion channels, and shares 56% amino acid sequence identity with the delta 1 subunit of the mouse glutamate receptor channel and 14-24% identity with the subunits of the AMPA-, kainate- or NMDA-selective glutamate receptor channel. RNA blot and in situ hybridization analyses show that the delta 2 subunit mRNA is localized in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Furthermore, immunoblot and immunohistochemical analyses suggest that the delta 2 subunit protein is actually expressed in vivo in Purkinje neurons. The selective localization of the delta 2 subunit in Purkinje cells may imply a role of the delta 2 subunit in Purkinje cell-specific function such as the cerebellar LTD.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Enhanced expression of LFA-3 on human T-cell lines and leukemic cells carrying human T-cell-leukemia virus type 1.

Previously, we studied the surface expression of LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and ICAM-1 (CD54) in a panel of 16 human T-cell lines and found that those carrying HTLV-1 pro-viruses expressed high levels of ICAM-1. Enhanced expression of ICAM-1 was also seen in fresh leukemic cells from ATL patients. In the present study, we systematically examined the surface expression of 19 different cell-adhesion molecules (CAMs) (the immunoglobulin superfamily, the homing receptors, the integrins, etc.) in a panel of 20 human T-cell lines (6 HTLV-1-negative lines and 14HTLV-1-positive lines). The surface expression of LFA-3 (CD58) was constantly enhanced in HTLV-1-positive T-cell lines except for MT-1, an ATL-derived cell line, which was devoid of a number of CAMs including ICAM-1. LFA-3 proteins and mRNA were found at strongly increased levels in HTLV-1-positive T-cell lines.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed1993

The synthesis of 2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-3-C-methylpentose-containing nucleosides via [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements.

[3,3]-Sigmatropic rearrangement of in situ-formed [O,O]-silyl ketene acetals of butenyl fluoroacetates was used as the key step in the synthesis of racemic 2,3-dideoxy-2-fluoro-3-C-methylpentofuranoses. The product pentofuranoses were transformed further into pyrimidine and purine nucleosides. The conformations of the synthetic carbohydrates were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies and indicated that previous structural assignments made by NMR were in error.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗
PubMed1993

Prevention of systemic lupus erythematosus in autoimmune BXSB mice by a transgene encoding I-E alpha chain.

Males from the BXSB murine strain (H-2b) spontaneously develop an autoimmune syndrome with features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which results in part from the action of a mutant gene (Yaa) located on the Y chromosome. Like other H-2b mice, the BXSB strain does not express the class II major histocompatibility complex antigen, I-E. Here we report that the expression of I-E (E alpha dE beta b) in BXSB males bearing an E alpha d transgene prevents hypergammaglobulinemia, autoantibody production, and subsequent autoimmune glomerulonephritis. These transgenic mice bear on the majority of their B cells not only I-E molecules, but also an I-E alpha chain-derived peptide presented by a higher number of I-Ab molecules, as recognized by the Y-Ae monoclonal antibody. The I-E+ B cells appear less activated in vivo than the I-E- B cells, a minor population. This limited activation of the I-E+ B cells does not reflect a functional deficiency of this cell population, since it can be stimulated to IgM production in vitro by lipopolysaccharides at an even higher level than the I-E- B cell population. The development of the autoimmune syndrome in the transgenic and nontransgenic bone marrow chimeric mice argues against the possibility that the induction of regulatory T cells or clonal deletion of potential autoreactive T cells as a result of I-E expression is a mechanism of the protection conferred by the E alpha d transgene. We propose a novel mechanism by which the E alpha d transgene protects BXSB mice against SLE: overexpression of I-E alpha chains results in the generation of excessive amounts of a peptide displaying a high affinity to the I-Ab molecule, thereby competing with pathogenic autoantigen-derived peptides for presentation by B lymphocytes and preventing their excessive stimulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Quinolone antimicrobial agents substituted with morpholines at the 7-position. Syntheses and structure-activity relationships.

A series of novel 7-substituted 1-cyclopropyl-6,8-difluoro-1, 4-dihydro-4-oxo-3-quinolinecarboxylic acids have been prepared and tested for antibacterial activities and for convulsive activities in combination with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. Structure-activity relationships revealed that 7-(2-(aminomethyl)morpholino) derivative 28 had a better Gram-positive activity than the reference quinolones, such as ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin. Its Gram-negative activity was equipotent with those of norfloxacin and ofloxacin but was inferior to that of ciprofloxacin. In mouse systemic infection models, 28 showed an excellent therapeutic efficacy which might result from the potent antibacterial activity and suitable physicochemical properties. Convulsive activities of 7-morpholino derivatives in combination with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug fenbufen or its metabolite biphenylacetic acid markedly diminished as compared to those of 7-piperazino derivatives in the electrophysiological, biochemical, and behavioral experiments. These results suggest that 28 (Y-26611) is a novel quinolone with reduced neurotoxic excitatory adverse reaction.

4-Quinolones↗
PubMed1993

Cloning and sequencing of mouse VCAM-1 cDNA.

We report here the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding the mouse vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), a member of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily. The 2972-bp cDNA encodes 739 amino acids (aa) and shows 76.4% and 75.9% similarity with the human VCAM-1 nucleotide (nt) and aa sequence, respectively. Three independent cDNA clones had a 7-Ig unit structure (molecule containing a seven 'immunoglobulin motif' repeat), and only sequences corresponding to the 7- (and not to the 6)-Ig unit VCAM were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), indicating that in the mouse this is the dominant, if not exclusive, form of this molecule. Unlike other adhesion molecules, the cytoplasmic tails (19 aa) of mouse and human VCAM-1 are identical, despite a 85.2% similarity only at the nt level, suggesting a critical functional role.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Detection of a point mutation in cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene by polymerase chain reaction-mediated site-directed mutagenesis.

We describe a method for the rapid and non-radioactive examination of DNA samples for a mutation of cholesteryl ester transfer protein using a polymerase chain reaction-mediated site-directed mutagenesis. CETP deficiencies were studied in 554 Japanese subjects (370 men, 184 women) aged between 18 and 91 (mean 48.3 years). By this method, we detected one homozygote and 3 heterozygotes of the CETP deficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

A case of spirurid larva infection in the anterior chamber of the human eye.

A 39-year-old male living in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, who complained of headaches, and redness, the sensation of foreign bodies and puffy eyelids of the left eye, visited the Department of Ophthalmology, Yamanashi Medical College. A larval nematode was found in the anterior chamber of the left eye and removed through a limbic incision. This nematode was identified as the spirurid type X larva.

Accidents, Occupational↗