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Biomedical subjects

K Hayasaka

Publications and source records attributed to K Hayasaka.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Glycine cleavage system in ketotic hyperglycinemia: a reduction of H-protein activity.

Glycine cleavage activity was compared in the livers from three cases of ketotic hyperglycinemia (two cases of propionic acidemia and one case of methylmalonic acidemia) and three controls. In one case of propionic acidemia, glycine cleavage activity (5.2 nmole/mg protein/hr) was normal in the liver obtained at biopsy when the patient was well controlled by the treatment with low protein diet (0.8 g/kg/day) and the level of serum glycine was lowered to normal. In the two other cases of ketotic hyperglycinemia, glycine cleavage activity was significantly reduced in the liver obtained at autopsy when the patients died in the state of metabolic acidosis. Its activity in the liver of one case of propionic acidemia (0.7 nmole/mg protein/hr) was 6-26% of that in controls (2.7-10.8 nmole/mg protein/hr), and 2-7% in the case of methylmalonic acidemia (0.2 nmole/mg protein/hr). Analysing of the individual components of the glycine cleavage system, a marked decrease in the activity of H-protein was revealed in the livers of the both patients; it (0.2 nmole/mg protein/hr) was only 3-4% of that in controls (4.9-6.3 nmole/mg Protein/hr). These findings suggest that the reduction of the glycine cleavage system in the liver of ketotic hyperglycinemia occurs secondarily as speculated previously and is caused mainly by a decrease of H-protein activity.

Acidosis↗

Comparison of cytosolic and mitochondrial enzyme alterations in the livers of propionic or methylmalonic acidemia: a reduction of cytochrome oxidase activity.

The activities of mitochondrial, cytosolic and microsomal enzymes in liver specimens obtained from three patients with propionic or methylmalonic acidemia were compared with those of control patients who had died from unrelated causes. Only the activity of cytochrome oxidase (mitochondrial enzyme) was significantly reduced in the patients of propionic acidemia and methylmalonic acidemia who were in the state of metabolic acidosis; in two patients the activity was less than 30% of that in controls, but in the other patient of propionic acidemia, who was under the treatment with a low protein diet (0.8 g/kg/day), the activity was 50% of that in controls. The metabolites of branched chain amino acids (tiglic acid, propionic acid, methylmalonic acid, succinic acid, tiglyl-CoA and propionyl CoA) exhibited no inhibitory effect on the cytochrome oxidase activity of the sonicated rat liver mitochondria. The reduction of cytochrome oxidase activity found in these organic acidemias may be caused secondarily by some unknown mechanism.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

[Malignant melanoma in Japan: unique distribution and effect of DAV chemoimmunotherapy].

This study, based on a co-operative group project involving 4 major medical institutes in Japan presents the first survey of malignant melanoma (MM) patients (157 cases) where an attempt was made to systemically evaluate the distribution of primary MM, and the response to DAV-chemoimmunotherapy. The distribution of primary MM in Japan is unique in a sense that the MM involving the lower extremities occupied more than 50% of the total male and female cases. The commonest type and site of involvement is the acrolentiginous MM involving the plantar area (30%). The regimen of our group included the combination of DTIC, VCR and ACNU, a new nitrosourea with or without immunoadjuvants OK-432, PSK, or NK-421). By a historical comparison, the DAV-treated group showed a better prognosis in the survival rates of overall (Stages I-IV) and disseminated (Stages III-IV) patients than those of the non-DAV group. However, the effect of combined immunoadjuvants was not statistically significant, though OK-432 showed a significant inhibition of lymphopenia which always occurred during DAV therapy.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Dietary therapy in two patients with vitamin B12-unresponsive methylmalonic acidemia.

The biochemical and therapeutic responses to dietary therapy were studied in a 25-month-old girl and a 1-month-old girl with methylmalonic acidemia (MMA-emia), which was unresponsive to vitamin B12. The minimum daily intake of protein which patients could tolerate and display a good development was between 1.0 and 1.2 g per kg body weight. Supplementation with amino acid mixture devoid of toxic amino acids was required to prevent protein malnutrition when daily protein intake was restricted to 0.6 g per kg body weight. Caloric intake should be sufficient, not only to promote growth but also to prevent a rise in MMA level, especially when a patient has ketoacidosis. It was found that MMA excretion per mg creatinine in random urine specimens correlated significantly with serum MMA and twenty four-hour output of MMA per kg body weight. Therefore measurement of MMA in a single urine specimen is useful for evaluating the in vivo accumulation of MMA.

Acidosis↗

Defective glycine cleavage system in nonketotic hyperglycinemia. Occurrence of a less active glycine decarboxylase and an abnormal aminomethyl carrier protein.

The activities of then glycine cleavage system in the liver and brain of patient with nonketotic hyperglycinemia was extremely low as compared with those of control human liver and brain. The activities of glycine decarboxylase (P-protein) and the aminomethyl carrier protein (H-protein), two of the four protein components of the glycine cleavage system, were considerably reduced in both the liver and brain; the extent of reduction was greater in the H-protein. The activity of the T-protein was normal. Purified H-protein from the patient did not react with lipoamide dehydrogenase, and titration of thiol groups with [2,3-14C]N-ethylmaleimide suggested that this H-protein is devoid of lipoic acid. This structural abnormality in the H-protein is considered to constitute the primary molecular lesion in this patient with non-ketotic hyperglycinemia. Immunochemical studies using an antibody specific for P-protein showed that the patient was due to reduction of the catalytic activity of the protein rather than a decrease in the actual amount of the P-protein. Partial inactivation of P-protein could result secondarily from impaired metabolism of glycine resulting from deficiency in the activity of H-protein. However, the H-protein from the patient could stimulate the P-protein catalyzed exchange of the carboxyl carbon of glycine with 14CO2, although the specific activity of the purified H-protein from the patient was only 4% of that of control human H-protein. The content of H-protein in the liver of the patient was approximately 35% of that of control human liver.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

Purification and properties of glycine decarboxylase, a component of the glycine cleavage system, from rat liver mitochondria and immunochemical comparison of this enzyme from various sources.

Glycine decarboxylase, tentatively called P-protein as a constituent of the glycine cleavage system, was purified to near homogeneity from rat liver mitochondria. The purified P-protein was a homodimer with a molecular weight of about 210,000, consisting of identical subunits with a molecular weight of 105,000. In the exchange reaction of the carboxyl carbon of glycine wih CO2 catalyzed by the purified P-protein in the presence of H-protein, the pH optimum was 6.7, Km for glycine was 6.6 mM, and Km for H-protein was 7.4 microM. A specific rabbit antibody against the purified rat liver P-protein was prepared. Ouchterlony double diffusion analysis and immunoinhibition experiments using this antibody revealed immunological cross-reactivity among the P-proteins from various species of animals such as carp, frog, snake, chicken, bovine, and human, suggesting a quite conservative evolution of the glycine cleavage system.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗

Methylmalonyl-CoA mutase activity of leukocytes in variants and heterozygotes of methylmalonic acidemia.

An assay method for the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase of leukocytes obtained from 3 ml of blood was established. The enzyme activity which was measured with or without the in vitro addition of 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin was found to be of value for the diagnosis of two variants of methylmalonic acidemia (vitamin B12 responsive and unresponsive), and also for the detection of heterozygotes with the vitamin B12 unresponsive type.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

Body surface isopotential T map for assessment of right ventricular volume and pressure overloads in secundum atrial septal defect.

The body surface isopotential T map was analyzed to detect right ventricular volume and pressure overloads in 25 patients with secundum atrial septal defect. Three patterns were distinguished: a T map resembling normal (type A, n = 9); that with an isolated negative area in a positive area (type B, n = 11); and that with rightward movement of maximum (type C, n = 5). Right ventricular end-diastolic volumes in types B (161 +/- 19% of normal; %N) and C (175 +/- 40% N) were significantly (p < 0.01) greater than those in controls (100 +/- 9% N) and type A (113 +/- 18% N). Right ventricular systolic pressure in type C (48 +/- 11 mmHg) was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than those in the controls (30 +/- 5 mmHg), type A (31 +/- 4 mmHg), or type B (34 +/- 5 mmHg). These results suggest that the patients with type B have right ventricular volume overload and those with type C have both volume and pressure overloads.

Body Surface Potential Mapping↗