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Biomedical subjects

K Endo

Publications and source records attributed to K Endo.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Choroideremia associated with subretinal neovascular membrane.

PURPOSE: To report two Japanese patients with choroideremia, one male and one heterozygous female, who developed subretinal neovascular membrane and/or subretinal fibrosis in the intermediate stage of the disease, and, in addition, to describe marked clinical manifestation in a heterozygous carrier female. METHOD: Two patients were examined by slip-lamp biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy and other ophthalmoloscopic examinations. RESULTS: Two cases showed moderately advanced ophthalmoscopic and functional abnormalitities compatible with choroideremia, and in addition, subretinal lesion in the fovea and/or midperiphery. CONCLUSION: The intermediate stage of choroideremia may occasionally be complicated with choroidal neovascular membrane in the fovea, the midperiphery, or both, which resolves spontaneously and results in subretinal fibrous scarring. The occurrence of this complication in the fovea leads to episodic central visual loss, while midperipheral lesion may remain unrecognized.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Protein expression of MDM2 and its clinicopathological relationships in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The transcription of mdm2 gene is activated by p53 and this limits the growth-suppressing activity of p53 by direct binding. It has been reported that MDM2 protein is overexpressed in several types of cancers. However, there have been no immunohistochemical studies on MDM2 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We immunohistochemically examined the expression of MDM2 and the relationships between its expression and histological grade, clinicopathological parameters, p53 expression and patient survival in 107 patients with HCC. RESULTS: The frequency of MDM2 positivity in the nuclei of HCC cells was 28/107 (26%). There was no correlation between the MDM2 expression and HCC grade. However, positivity of MDM2 expression significantly correlated with small HCC size (p<0.05, chi2 test) and the absence of vascular invasion (p<0.01, chi2 test). No significant differences were noted between MDM2 expression and capsular invasion or satellite nodules. Expression of MDM2 showed a significantly positive correlation with expression of p53 (p<0.03, chi2 test). Patients with positive expression of MDM2 had poorer prognosis than patients with negative MDM2 expression. MDM2 expression was the most useful independent factor for overall survival (p=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: MDM2 was expressed in 26% of HCC, and its expression correlated positively with p53 mutations. MDM2 over-expression is a useful predictor of poor prognosis in patients with HCC following hepatic resection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Increased midkine expression in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analyses.

AIMS/BACKGROUND: Midkine (MK) is a novel heparin-binding growth factor whose gene was identified in embryonal carcinoma cells in the early stages of retinoic acid-induced differentiation. This study investigates the overexpression of MK in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CC). METHODS: Forty-five primary CC specimens from patients (aged 19-81 years, 24 males and 21 females) were examined. Histologically, 17 cases of CC were classified as the well-differentiated type, 19 as moderately-differentiated and 9 as poorly-differentiated. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using a rat IgG2a monoclonal antibody against the carboxyl terminal region of human MK. RESULTS: We successfully applied this monoclonal antibody against MK to analyze archival paraffin sections. The cancer tissues showed a positive reaction to this antibody, and there was an intense reaction in their cytoplasm. Approximately 40% of individuals with CC (17/45) had tumor cells that expressed MK, and these were classified into the following types: moderately-differentiated type (9/19), well-differentiated type (8/17) and poorly-differentiated type (0/ 9). In situ hybridization analysis revealed that signals of MK transcripts were found in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells; the distribution and localization of the MK-transcript signals determined by in situ hybridization analysis were similar to those obtained by immunohistochemical analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings revealed that CC express increased MK at the messenger RNA and protein levels.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Association of Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor gene and no association of Gln223Arg polymorphism of the leptin receptor gene in Japanese schoolchildren with obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor (beta3-AR) gene and Gln223Arg polymorphism of the leptin receptor (Ob-R) gene are associated with obesity in Japanese schoolchildren. DESIGN: Population study of participants from a rural town located within 50 km northeast of Tokyo based on school medical examinations. SUBJECTS: 553 Japanese schoolchildren (291 boys and 262 girls) who were 9-15 y old with a mean age of 11.9 +/- 1.8 y. MEASUREMENTS: DNA was extracted from whole blood and genotyped by PCR-RFLP. Height, weight and blood pressure were measured in school medical examinations. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol concentrations were measured by an autoanalyzer. Obesity index, body mass index (BMI) and LDL-cholesterol concentration were calculated by the respective formulae. RESULTS: In Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-AR gene, the number of obese subjects with Trp/Arg or Arg/Arg genotypes was significantly higher than that of the non-obese subjects (chi2=5.79, P=0.02). The obesity index of subjects with the Arg/Arg or Arg/Trp genotype was significantly higher than that of those with the Trp/Trp genotype (8.2 +/- 18.7% vs 4.5 +/- 15.8%, P=0.04). Moreover, after adjustments for age and gender, BMI of subjects with the Trp/Arg or Arg/Arg genotype was significantly higher than that of those with the Trp/Trp genotype (19.4 +/- 3.6 kg/m2 vs 18.9 +/- 3.2 kg/m2, P= 0.02). However, no significant differences were observed in the clinical characteristics among the genotype groups of the Ob-R gene. CONCLUSIONS: Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-AR gene appears to be a genetic risk factor for obesity in Japanese children, but Gln223Arg polymorphism of the Ob-R gene does not appear to be associated with obesity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Immunoreactive E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, and gamma-catenin proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma: relationships with tumor grade, clinicopathologic parameters, and patients' survival.

We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression status of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, and gamma-catenin, and the relationship with tumor grade, clinicopathologic parameters, and patients' survival, in 107 surgically resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using a semiquantitative scoring system. These molecules were largely located at the cell membrane of HCC cells. Compared with expression in nontumorous liver, E-cadherin showed underexpression, whereas alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenins showed overexpression in most HCC. E-cadherin expression significantly correlated inversely with HCC histological grade, being the highest in well-differentiated HCC. In contrast, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenins' expression significantly correlated positively with HCC grade, being the highest in poorly differentiated HCC. Significant positive correlations were found between gamma-catenin high expression and capsular invasion or presence of satellite nodules, and between beta-catenin high expression and vascular invasion. Kaplan-Meier examination of patients' survival indicated that HCC patients with underexpression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and gamma-catenin, and patients with overexpression of beta-catenin, had poor survival rates. These results suggest that E-cadherin is downregulated while the 3 catenins are upregulated in HCC, that E-cadherin expression inversely correlates with HCC grade while the 3 catenins' expression positively correlates with HCC grade, and that HCC patients with downregulation of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and gamma-catenin and HCC patients with upregulation of beta-catenin have poor prognosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Protein expression of double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase in thyroid carcinomas: correlations with histologic types, pathologic parameters, and Ki-67 labeling.

There have been no reports evaluating double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) in thyroid carcinomas. Therefore, we investigated the protein expression of PKR and its correlations with several pathologic parameters and Ki-67 labeling in 86 thyroid carcinomas, using a semiquantitative scoring method. Western blot analysis showed a specific band of 68 kDa corresponding to PKR molecular weight in 9 selected fresh samples. In immunohistochemistry of archival samples, PKR was expressed in 77 of 86 (90%) cases. The positive rate and PKR score were significantly higher in papillary carcinoma (75 of 80, 94%, PKR score = 4.47 +/- 2.17) than in nonpapillary carcinomas (2 of 6, 33%, PKR score = 1.50 +/- 2.81). Nontumorous thyroid showed no or faint "baseline" PKR expression. There were no significant differences between the PKR score and tumor size, tumor invasion, capsular invasion, or lymph node metastasis. However, there were significant differences between the PKR score and vascular invasion or presence of satellite tumor nodules, the PKR score being higher in cases with more vascular invasion and in cases with satellite tumor nodules than in cases without them. Ki-67 labeling showed a reverse correlation with the PKR score, being the highest in cases with low PKR scores. These results suggest that follicular cells newly express PKR during thyroid carcinogenesis, that PKR is more expressed in papillary carcinoma than in nonpapillary carcinoma, that PKR expression may be associated with high vascular invasion and satellite nodules, and that PKR expression is linked to low cell proliferative activity.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗
PubMed2000

The mitochondrial genome of the brachiopod Laqueus rubellus.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the 14,017-bp mitochondrial (mt) genome of the articulate brachiopod Laqueus rubellus is presented. Being one of the smallest of known mt genomes, it has an extremely compact gene organization. While the same 13 polypeptides, two rRNAs, and 22 tRNAs are encoded as in most other animal mtDNAs, lengthy noncoding regions are absent, with the longest apparent intergenic sequence being 54 bp in length. Gene-end sequence overlaps are prevalent, and several stop codons are abbreviated. The genes are generally shorter, and three of the protein-coding genes are the shortest among known homologues. All of the tRNA genes indicate size reduction in either or both of the putative TPsiC and DHU arms compared with standard tRNAs. Possession of a TV (TPsiC arm-variable loop) replacement loop is inferred for tRNA(R) and tRNA(L-tag). The DHU arm appears to be unpaired not only in tRNA(S-tct) and tRNA(S-tga), but also in tRNA(C), tRNA(I), and tRNA(T), a novel condition. All the genes are encoded in the same DNA strand, which has a base composition rich in thymine and guanine. The genome has an overall gene arrangement drastically different from that of any other organisms so far reported, but contains several short segments, composed of 2-3 genes, which are found in other mt genomes. Combined cooccurrence of such gene assortments indicates that the Laqueus mt genome is similar to the annelid Lumbricus, the mollusc Katharina, and the octocoral Sarcophyton mt genomes, each with statistical significance. Widely accepted schemes of metazoan phylogeny suggest that the similarity with the octocoral could have arisen through a process of convergent evolution, while it appears likely that the similarities with the annelid and the mollusc reflect phylogenetic relationships.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Lactoferrin protects against UV-B irradiation-induced corneal epithelial damage in rats.

PURPOSE: Lactoferrin supplementation suppresses ultraviolet light B (UV-B)-induced oxidation of cultures of human corneal epithelial cells. To investigate the protective effect of lactoferrin containing eyedrops against UV-B-induced corneal damage in vivo, we examined lactoferrin efficacy in a rat UV-B keratitis model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated with >10 kJ/m2 after anesthetization, and then corneal epithelial defect was observed at 24 h postirradiation. The pre- or postapplication of vehicle or lactoferrin-containing eyedrops was performed, and then corneal epithelial damage was scored based on fluorescein staining. RESULTS: Posttreatment with lactoferrin did not inhibit the extent of corneal damage and did not affect wound healing. However, pretreatment by topical application of lactoferrin suppressed development of a corneal epithelial defect induced by UV-B irradiation in rats. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the presence of lactoferrin in human tear fluid may inhibit UV-induced corneal epithelial damage.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Avidin chase can reduce myelotoxicity associated with radioimmunotherapy of experimental liver micrometastases in mice.

Myelotoxicity is the main factor which decides the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in radioimmunotherapy (RIT). Since bone marrow is mostly irradiated from blood radioactivity, enhancing the clearance of unbound circulating radiolabeled antibody is important to reduce myelotoxicity and to increase the MTD. We applied the avidin chase method, which was devised to obtain high tumor-to-background ratios in tumor-targeting, to RIT of experimental liver micrometastases and evaluated its influence on the side effects and therapeutic outcome. Seven days after intrasplenic injection of human colon cancer LS174T cells, nude mice were intravenously injected with biotinylated (131)I-labeled anti-CEA monoclonal antibody (MAb) (24 - 38 microg, 11.1 MBq). Mice of the chase group then received an intravenous injection of avidin twice (24 and 30 h, 72 - 115 microg each). Biodistribution, side effects (white blood cell counts and body weight change), and short- and long-term therapeutic effects were determined. Avidin chase markedly accelerated the clearance of radiolabeled MAb from the blood (P < 0.0001) and normal tissues, resulting in milder leukocytopenia and body weight loss, both of which recovered earlier than in the non-chase group (P < 0.01). The tumor uptake of radiolabeled MAb was also decreased by avidin chase, but the metastases-to-background ratios were increased. Avidin chase gave the therapeutic gain ratio of 1.89. Treated groups with and without avidin chase showed significant therapeutic effects compared to the non-treated group. There was no significant difference in the therapeutic effects between the two treated groups. Avidin chase effectively reduced the side effects of RIT and should increase the MTD.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[A clinical investigation of infective endocarditis at a community hospital in Japan].

There have been few reports on the clinical features of infective endocarditis (IE) in Japan. We clinically investigates 45 episodes (36 cases) of definite IE that were experienced from January 1985 to March 1997 at a community hospital, Okinawa Chubu Hospital, Okinawa, Japan. Regarding age, prior dental procedure, causative organisms and sites of infection, analyses and comparison were performed on a total of 94 episodes, by adding another 49 episodes of IE that were experienced between 1977 and 1984 at our hospital. The mean age was 47 years and majority of patients in the recent 12 years were older than 50 years of age. Mortality of all 94 episodes was 20%, while that of recent 45 cases was 13%. Eight % of all episodes had history of recent dental treatment but significance of the finding remains unclear. Alpha streptococci were most common (33%) and Staphylococcus aureus was the second most common organism (17%). Eleven % of all episodes were culture-negative and there was a statistically significant difference in the histories of prior antibiotic therapy between culture-negative and culture-positive episodes. Regarding sites of infection, 27% of all episodes involved mitral valves, while 24% involved aortic valves. Prosthetic valves were involved in 12%. Ninety-eight % of the recent episodes had fever, 98% had cardiac murmurs and 27% had characteristic mucocutaneous lesions. Heart failure was the most common complication (27%) and half of the cases with prosthetic valve infection had heart failure. Cerebral embolism was most frequently seen among the major arterial embolic complications. Our results were similar to those which were previously reported from other countries. We should have a high index of suspicion for endocarditis whenever we see patients who present various clinical manifestations and fever of which origin remains unclear. Willingness to obtain blood culture before starting antibiotics is most important.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Parenchymal perianeurysmal cystic changes in the brain: report of five cases.

PURPOSE: To describe parenchymal perianeurysmal cystic changes in the brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 247 patients with cerebral aneurysms described in the medical or radiologic records in three institutions, five had perianeurysmal cystic changes. These were evaluated with computed tomography or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and were categorized according to size, appearance, and the presence of hemosiderin deposit. Confirmation at stereotactic needle biopsy was available in one case. RESULTS: Perianeurysmal cysts comprised multiple clustered cysts in three cases and a unilocular cyst in two, and diameters were 1.5-3.5 cm. Hemosiderin was depicted at MR imaging in one unilocular cyst. Associated aneurysms had diameters of 0.7-4.0 cm, and prominent aneurysmal thrombosis and calcifications were seen in two cases. Findings at stereotactic needle biopsy were of mild reactive gliosis. At long-term follow-up in two patients, the cystic regions were stable. CONCLUSION: Parenchymal perianeurysmal cysts are rare and may display various morphologic characteristics from unilocular to multilocular. Since there may or may not be evidence of previous hemorrhage, other mechanisms such as abnormal angiogenesis factors may play a role.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

In vivo degradation of resin-dentin bonds in humans over 1 to 3 years.

The longevity of resin restorations is currently an area of great interest in adhesive dentistry. However, no work has been conducted to investigate the durability of resin-dentin bond structures using human substrate in vivo. The purpose of this study was to investigate the degradation of the resin-dentin bond structures aged in an oral environment for 1, 2, or 3 years. Cavities were prepared in primary molars, and an adhesive resin system (Scotchbond Multi-Purpose) was applied to the cavity. After 1 to 3 years, following the eruption of the succedaneous permanent teeth, the resin-restored teeth were extracted. Immediately after extraction, those teeth were sectioned perpendicular to the adhesive interface and trimmed to produce an hourglass-shaped specimen. Then, a micro-tensile test was performed at a crosshead speed of 1.0 mm/min. The mean bond strengths were statistically compared with one-way ANOVA and Fisher's PLSD test (p < 0.05). Further, all fractured surfaces were observed by SEM, and the area fraction of failure mode was calculated by means of a digital analyzer on SEM photomicrographs. There were significant differences in tensile-bond strength among all 3 groups (p < 0.05), with mean values ranging from 28.3 +/- 11.3 MPa (control), to 15.2 +/- 4.4 MPa (1 to 2 years), to 9.1 +/- 5.1 MPa (2 to 3 years). Moreover, under fractographic analysis, the proportion of demineralized dentin at the fractured surface in specimens aged in an oral environment was greater than that in control specimens. Furthermore, degradation of resin composite and the depletion of collagen fibrils was observed among the specimens aged in an oral environment. Analysis of the results of this study indicated that the degradation of resin-dentin bond structures occurs after aging in the oral cavity.

Adhesives↗
PubMed2000

In vivo electron spin resonance assessment of decay constant of nitroxyl radical in selenium-deficient rat.

In vivo reducing capacity and cytosolic glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in liver homogenate were evaluated in 6 weeks old Se-deficient and normal rats. GSH-Px was significantly lower in Se-deficient rats than in normal rats. In vivo reducing capacity in head and liver parts, estimated from in vivo signal decay of a nitroxyl spin probe using a low frequency (300 MHz) ESR spectrometer, was significantly decreased in Se-deficient rats, suggesting a decrease of antioxidant capacity in Se-deficient rats.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Construction of an enantiomerically pure 6-substituted 3,5-syn-dihydroxyhexanoic acid system by an enantioselective deprotonation strategy: formal synthesis of an antiobesity agent, (-)-tetrahydrolipstatin.

Preparation of 6-substituted 4-hydroxytetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one (12), a key intermediate for the synthesis of (-)-tetrahydrolipstatin, was achieved in an optically pure form by employing an enantioselective deprotonation reaction of the prochiral bicyclic derivative (5) as a key step.

Anti-Obesity Agents↗
PubMed2000

Studies on thermal aggregation of bovine serum albumin as a drug carrier.

The irreversible thermal aggregation rate and process of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated by means of light scattering technique as a function of temperature. The increasing rate of particle radius was affected by the aggregation temperature, concentration and the presence of fatty acid. The particle radius was larger and the aggregation rate was faster for fatty acid free BSA at higher temperature and concentration. Two thermal aggregation processes were observed at relatively low temperature and concentration, both for fatty acid containing (C-BSA) and fatty acid free BSA (F-BSA). The first process proceeds by an inter-monomer aggregation mechanism, and the second process by inter-aggregates aggregation. The first process is represented by a power law as Rhapp proportional to t(z), which is diffusion limited cluster aggregation (DLCA).

Fatty Acids↗
PubMed2000

Purification and characterization of biliverdin-binding protein from larval hemolymph of the swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus L.

The biliverdin-binding protein from the larval hemolymph of the swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus L., was purified and characterized. The crude biliverdin-binding protein, obtained by ammonium sulfate fractionation, was purified in two steps, the first one by gel filtration chromatography and the second one by ion-exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified protein was analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and estimated to be 21 kDa. The Namino terminal sequence of P. xuthus biliverdin-binding protein analyzed up to the 19th residue showed that 42% of the amino acid sequence are sequence similarity to the bilin-binding protein from Pieris brassicae. These results suggest that the P. xuthus biliverdin-binding protein belongs to the insecticyanin-type.

Amino Acid Sequence↗