Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Horii

Publications and source records attributed to K Horii.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

An autopsy case of primary hepatoma associated with an oral contraceptive.

Primary hepatoma was found in a 38-year-old female who had been using an oral contraceptive for 28 months. Histologically the hepatoma was a well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. Alpha-fetoprotein was not increased and tests for HBS antigen was negative. Carcinoembryonic antigen was elevated remarkably before death. The findings of hepatic arteriography and peritoneoscopy suggested metastatic tumors of the liver rather than primary hepatoma. During the course of the disease, phlebothrombosis occurred and spread widely in the lower left limb. The observation of erythrocytosis indicated the presence of a tumor producing erythropoietin or an erythropoietin-like substance.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Serum glutathione S-transferase in experimental liver damage in rats.

The changes of serum glutathione S-transferase (GST) was observed after carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration to Wistar rats. Serum GST activity increased rapidly and reached the peak 24 hours after CCl4 administration, and decreased rapidly thereafter. Centrilobular massive necrosis was already observed at the peak time of serum GST activity. On the other hand, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) activities varied slowly, and the peak time of GOT and GPT activities was 36 hours after CCl4 administration. GST-containing Y fraction obtained from rat liver was injected intravenously to control and nephrectomized rats, and the plasma disappearance of GST activity was observed. The plasma disappearance of GST activity was very rapid in the control rats. When the Y fraction obtained from 1/12 g liver was injected, no statistically significant difference in the plasma GST half lives was observed between the control and nephrectomized rats. Half life of serum GST was significantly shorter in control rats receiving the Y fraction from 1/60 g liver, comparing with that in nephrectomized rats receiving the same amount of Y fraction. From these results, serum GST is concluded to be a precise index of the early stage of hepatic necrosis in the rat, and considerable amount of GST is excreted from the kidneys, but most of the enzyme is metabolized in vivo.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1981

Erythrocyte osmotic fragility in various liver diseases--application of coil planet centrifuge system.

A change in erythrocyte osmotic fragility was observed on various liver diseases by means of the coil planet centrifuge (CPC) system, and the relationship between changes in it and in serum lipids was studied. According to the CPC classification of hemolytic patterns of L, M, T and R, the frequency of appearance of T and R increased in liver cirrhosis and primary hepatoma. Hemolytic start and end points both changed considerably in primary hepatoma, acute hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Change of hemolytic end point which shifted to the hypotonic side is more prominent than that of hemolytic start point. The hemolytic end point showed an inverse correlation to serum alkaline phosphatase and LAP, and correlation to pseudocholinesterase and albumin. Among the relations of red cell fragility and lipids of the lipoprotein fractions, free cholesterol and the ratio of free cholesterol to phospholipid in high density lipoprotein were both in remarkable inverse correlation to the hemolytic end point. Free cholesterol in high density lipoprotein was concluded one of the most important determinants of erythrocyte osmotic fragility.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1981

Concomitant secretion of adrenocorticotropin, beta-endorphin, and gamma-melanotropin from perfused pituitary tumor cells of Cushing's disease: effects of lysine vasopressin, rat median eminence extracts, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone.

Regulation of secretion of ACTH-, beta-endorphin-, and gamma-melanotropin-like immunoreactivities (ACTH-LI, beta-EP-LI, and gamma-MSH-LI, respectively) was studied by using a perfused Sephadex column containing dispersed pituitary tumor cells obtained from three patients with Cushing's disease. Serial dilution of the perfusion medium gave lines parallel to the standard curve in each RIA for ACTH, beta-EP and gamma-MSH, suggesting that immunoreactive materials in the medium are immunologically indistinguishable from the authentic peptides. Gel exclusion chromatography of the medium revealed the existence of ACTH, beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH), beta-EP, and their possible precursor protein. gamma-MSH-LI consists of a major peak of big gamma-MSH eluted near the elution position of beta-LPH, suggesting the entire or nearly entire N-terminal portion of the precursor molecule. The addition of lysine vasopressin and rat median eminence extracts (MEE) to the perfusion system concomitantly enhanced the release of ACTH-LI, beta-EP-LI, and gamma-MSH-LI, although the dose-response relationship was clear-cut only in the case of MEE. TRH and LRH also elicited the concomitant release of these peptides in one patient, in whom combined administration of TRH and LRH significantly augmented plasma cortisol levels when studied preoperatively. The molar ratio of ACTH-LI to beta-EP-LI was approximately 1.0, whereas gamma-MSH-LI was about one fourth of ACTH-LI when compared on a weight basis. These results indicate that 1) ACTH-producing human pituitary adenomas concomitantly secrete ACTH, beta-LPH, beta-EP, and big gamma-MSH, and 2) lysine vasopressin, MEE, TRH, and LRH act directly on pituitary cells to stimulate the release of these peptides.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1980

Serum glutathione S-transferase activity in liver diseases.

Assay conditions of human liver glutathione S-transferase and its activity in human serum from liver disease patients were investigated. One mmol/l reduced glutathione, and 1 mmol/l-1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, pH 6.5, were used for the measurement, because of the very low non-enzymatic conjugation. Glutathione S-transferase activity was inhibited by bilirubin, but this inhibition was counteracted by the presence of a low concentration of albumin. The normal human serum glutathione S-transferase activity was 5.2 +/- 2.4 I.U./l (mean +/- S.D.), and was not influenced by any differences of age, sex or leukocyte count. A significant increase in serum enzyme activity was noted in cases of acute hepatitis with GPT exceeding 200 I.U./l, primary hepatoma and metastatic liver cancer. Some of the cases with fulminant hepatitis showed extremely high values. The degree of correlation between serum glutathione S-transferase and GOT or GPT was high in acute hepatitis, with GOT or GPT exceeding 200 I.U./l, in fulminant hepatitis, primary hepatoma and gall stones, while in chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis it was low. In cases of acute hepatitis and fulminant hepatitis, the disappearance of serum glutathione S-transferase from the blood was much faster than that of GOT and GPT. Serum glutathione S-transferase measurements will provide new and unique information for the diagnosis of acute liver diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Immunoreactive beta-endorphin and adrenocorticotropin in human cerebrospinal fluid.

To elucidate the significance of beta-endorphin in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), CSF levels of beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta-EP-LI) in various diseases were determined by a specific radioimmunoassay and compared with simultaneously determined ACTH-like immunoreactivity (ACTH-LI) levels in CSF. CSF beta-EP-LI and ACTH-LI in the control group, consisting of 5 normal subjects and 19 patients with nonendocrine diseases, were 22.2+/-1.3 and 14.6+/-0.4 fmol/ml, respectively. CSF levels of these peptides in patients with schizophrenia (n = 19) and acromegaly (n = 10) were not significantly different from those in the control group. Patients with Cushing's disease (n = 7) had significantly lower CSF beta-EP-LI and ACTH-LI levels than those in the control group. Four of them showed a parallel increase in CSF beta-EP-LI and CSF ACTH-LI levels after the complete removal of pituitary microadenomas (P < 0.05). Gel chromatography of CSF beta-EP-LI from a normal volunteer, a control patient, and one patient each with catatonia, Nelson's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome (adrenal adenoma), and acromegaly gave similar patterns consisting of three peaks with the elution positions comparable to those of authentic beta-endorphin, beta-lipotropin, and possibly their precursor molecule. Gel chromatographic patterns of CSF beta-EP-LI and ACTH-LI were compared in a normal volunteer. The first peaks of beta-EP-LI and ACTH-LI eluted at the same position and the second peak of ACTH-LI coincided with the elution position of authentic ACTH.CSF beta-EP-LI and ACTH-LI levels determined every 5 min over a period of 80 min in three normal volunteers did not show moment-to-moment variability.A significant correlation (r = 0.75, P < 0.001) was seen between CSF beta-EP-LI and ACTH-LI levels in normal subjects and patients studied (n = 73). This suggests that beta-endorphin and ACTH in human CSF share the common regulatory mechanism in normal and pathologic conditions.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1979

Plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in liver disease.

The plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase was determined in patients with various liver diseases and the relationship between this enzyme activity and the other liver function tests were studied including long term observations. Lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in fulminant hepatitis and liver cirrhosis showed a significant decrease in comparison with normal volunteers. Although the enzyme activity of hepatoma showed significant decrease, they were ascribed to the influence of concomitant liver cirrhosis. The enzyme activity showed insignificant changes in the acute and chronic hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease. Lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity was correlated with the concentration of cholesterolester rather than with the ratio of esters to cholesterol. In addition, it was well correlated with pseudocholine esterase and serum albumin. The lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in the cases during follow-up period varied in good parallel with cholesterol-esters concentration and pseudocholine esterase in the cases with acute hepatitis; with serum albumin in the cases with liver cirrhosis. Furthermore, it varied inversely with SGPT in the cases with acute hepatitis. In a case with hepatoma, lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity decreased more sharply than the cholesterolesters concentration and serum albumin immediately before death.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Presence of immunoreactive beta-endorphin in normal human plasma: a concomitant release of beta-endorphin with adrenocorticotropin after metyrapone administration.

To elucidate whether or not beta-endorphin exists in plasma of normal subjects, plasma extracts obtained before and after metyrapone administration were subjected to gel exclusion chromatography, and fractions obtained were assayed by a sensitive radioimmunoassay for beta-endorphin. The basal plasma level of beta-endorphin was 5.8 +/- 1.1 pg/ml (mean +/- SE, n = 5), which rose significantly to the level of 48.9 +/- 3.8 pg/ml after a single oral dose (30 mg/kg of body wt) of metyrapone administration (P less than 0.001). Plasma ACTH levels also increased from the mean basal level of 73 +/- 4 pg/ml to 269 +/- 41 pg/ml after metyrapone administration. These results indicate that beta-endorphin, distinct from beta-lipotropin, exists in normal human plasma and that it is released from the pituitary concomitantly with ACTH.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Portal serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels after partial hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated whether or not hepatocyte growth factor increases in portal serum via an endocrine mode after partial hepatectomy in humans. METHODOLOGY: Portal blood was sampled through a catheter inserted through the umbilical vein to the portal trunk during surgery in 17 patients. Serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Human hepatocyte growth factor levels were higher in portal than in peripheral serum throughout the study. Portal and peripheral serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels without complications increased rapidly and reached a maximum level 1 day after partial hepatectomy. The maximal level of portal and peripheral serum human hepatocyte growth factor was 1.20 and 1.00 ng/ml, respectively. In the case of hepatic failure after partial hepatectomy, portal and peripheral serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels markedly increased and reached 9.31 ng/ml and 6.78 ng/ml 2 days before death, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that hepatocyte growth factor increases in portal serum via an endocrine mode after partial hepatectomy in humans. Furthermore, measurement of the portal and peripheral serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels may be useful for the clinical evaluation of patients with post-operative hepatic failure.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum endothelin-1 and hepatocyte growth factor levels in patients with obstructive jaundice.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endothelin-1, a potent vasoconstrictive peptide, is known to modulate changes in local circulation. Additionally, hepatocyte growth factor, a potent mitogen for hepatocytes, is increased in various liver diseases. The present study examined changes in serum endothelin-1 and hepatocyte growth factor levels in patients with obstructive jaundice before and after percutaneous transhepatic cholangio drainage. METHODOLOGY: Endothelin-1 and hepatocyte growth factor levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using sera from 16 patients with obstructive jaundice before and after percutaneous transhepatic cholangio drainage. RESULTS: Serum endothelin-1 levels decreased rapidly in the good bilirubin decrease group after biliary drainage. Endothelin-1 levels decreased 1 week after drainage but then increased gradually in the worse bilirubin decrease group. Serum hepatocyte growth factor levels decreased gradually after biliary drainage, and were higher in the worse bilirubin decrease group than in the good bilirubin decrease group throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that endothelin-1 may be associated with the microcirculatory disturbance in obstructive jaundice and prolonged cholestasis. Measurement of hepatocyte growth factor levels in patients with obstructive jaundice before percutaneous transhepatic cholangio drainage may be an early clinical predictor of the subsequent rate of decrease of the serum bilirubin concentration.

Adult↗