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Biomedical subjects

K Ikeda

Publications and source records attributed to K Ikeda.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Intracellular processing of aggregated tau differs between corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy.

Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) are sporadic neurodegenerative diseases with intracytoplasmic aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein, tau, in neurons and glial cells. Immunoblot analysis of detergent-insoluble brain extracts of patients with CBD and PSP shows distinctive patterns of tau fragments. These results suggest differing intracellular processing of aggregated tau in these two diseases despite an identical composition of tau isoforms. Such biochemical differences may be related to the neuropathological features of these diseases.

Aged↗

M(R) 77 KDA factor derived from fibroblasts stimulates the invasion ability of breast-cancer cells.

Breast-cancer cells frequently invade into the skin. However, few reports have described the mechanisms responsible for this invasion. In this study, we investigated the effects of skin fibroblasts on the invasion ability of breast-cancer cells, using a modification of Boyden's chamber method, and purified an invasion-stimulating factor from fibroblasts. Conditioned medium of skin fibroblasts, DF-1, significantly stimulated the invasion ability of breast-cancer cells, OCUB-1. The invasion-stimulating factor produced from skin fibroblasts was then partially purified and characterized. The soluble invasion-stimulating factor of fibroblasts was a protein of 77 kDa, as calculated by SDS-PAGE. Although TGF-alpha and bFGF stimulated the invasion of OCUB-1, no inhibition of the 77 kDa factor was achieved with neutralizing antibodies against TGF-alpha and bFGF. These findings suggest that the 77 kDa factor derived from skin fibroblasts might be unique, might play an important role in invasion to the skin and might explain the frequent skin invasion in breast carcinoma.

Biological Factors↗

Measurement of B(0)(d)-B_(0)(d) mixing rate from the time evolution of dilepton events at the upsilon(4S).

We report a determination of the B(0)(d)-&B_(0)(d) mixing parameter Deltam(d) based on the time evolution of dilepton yields in Upsilon(4S) decays. The measurement is based on a 5.9 fb(-1) data sample collected by the Belle detector at KEKB. The proper-time difference distributions for same-sign and opposite-sign dilepton events are simultaneously fitted to an expression containing Deltam(d) as a free parameter. Using both muons and electrons, we obtain Deltam(d) = 0.463+/-0.008 (stat)+/-0.016 (syst) ps(-1). This is the first determination of Deltam(d) from time evolution measurements at the Upsilon(4S). We also place limits on possible CPT violations.

Journal Article↗

Measurement of the CP violation parameter sin2 phi(1) in B(0)(d) meson decays.

We present a measurement of the standard model CP violation parameter sin2 phi(1) (also known as sin2beta) based on a 10.5 fb(-1) data sample collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e(+)e(-) collider. One neutral B meson is reconstructed in the J/psiK(S), psi(2S)K(S), chi(c1)K(S), eta(c)K(S), J/psiK(L), or J/psipi(0) CP-eigenstate decay channel and the flavor of the accompanying B meson is identified from its charged particle decay products. From the asymmetry in the distribution of the time interval between the two B-meson decay points, we determine sin2 phi(1) = 0.58(+0.32)(-0.34)(stat)+0.09-0.10(syst).

Journal Article↗

Methylation is not the main force repressing the retrotransposon MAGGY in Magnaporthe grisea.

We have introduced the LTR-retrotransposon MAGGY into a naive genome of Magnaporthe grisea and estimated the copy number of MAGGY in a cell by serial isolation of fungal protoplasts at certain time intervals. The number of MAGGY elements rapidly increased for a short period following introduction. However, it did not increase geometrically and reached equilibrium at 20-30 copies per genome, indicating that MAGGY was repressed or silenced during proliferation. De novo methylation of MAGGY occurred immediately following invasion into the genome but the degree of methylation was constant and did not correlate with the repression of MAGGY. 5-Azacytidine treatment demethylated and transcriptionally activated the MAGGY element in regenerants but did not affect transpositional frequency, suggesting that post-transcriptional suppression, not methylation, is the main force that represses MAGGY proliferation in M.grisea. Support for this conclusion was also obtained by examining the methylation status of MAGGY sequences in field isolates of M.grisea with active or inactive MAGGY elements. Methylation of the MAGGY sequences was detected in some isolates but not in others. However, the methylation status did not correlate with the copy numbers and activity of the elements.

DNA Methylation↗

Effect of vagal autotransplantation on quantitative [3H]-vesamicol binding image in rats with unilateral lesions of nucleus baslis magnocellularis.

It is considered that nodosal ganglion grafting improves learning and memory disorder in nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesioned rats, and that [3H]-vesamicol is one of the mapping agents for presynaptic cholinergic neurons. Quantitative autoradiography was performed using high sensitive imaging plate system to evaluate the effect of neurotransplantation on [3H]-vesamicol binding. The affected-side to unaffected-side ratio of [3H]-vesamicol in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesioned group was significantly lower than that in the sham-operated group at 1, 2 and 4weeks (P<0.01). In the transplanted group, the ratio was significantly higher than that in the untreated group at 4weeks (P<0.05). [3H]-vesamicol binding is one of the most sensitive indicators of nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesions and the effect of the nodosal ganglion grafting.

Animals↗

Filamin associates with Smads and regulates transforming growth factor-beta signaling.

Members of the Smad proteins transmit signals triggered by the ligands of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily. Ligand-activated receptors induce phosphorylation of so-called receptor-regulated Smads, which then accumulate in the nucleus to participate in target gene transcription, in collaboration with Smad-interacting proteins. We performed yeast two-hybrid screening and identified filamin, a cytoskeletal actin-binding protein 280, as a Smad5-interacting protein. Filamin was found to be associated not only with Smad5 but also with other Smad proteins, including TGF-beta/activin receptor-regulated Smad2. TGF-beta signaling was defective in filamin-deficient human melanoma cells M2 compared with a filamin-transfected subline A7, as determined by TGF-beta-responsive reporter gene activation and Smad2 nuclear accumulation. M2 cells restored TGF-beta responsiveness following transient transfection of full-length filamin encoding vector. The defective TGF-beta signaling in M2 cells seemed to be due to impaired receptor-induced serine phosphorylation of Smad2. These results suggest that filamin plays an important role in Smad-mediated signaling.

Cell Line↗

The untranslated region of (mu)-opioid receptor mRNA contributes to reduced opioid sensitivity in CXBK mice.

It is well known that there are individual differences in a sensitivity to analgesics. Several lines of evidence have suggested that the level of opioid-induced analgesia is dependent on the level of expression of the mu-opioid receptor (mu-OR). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the diversity of the level of the opioid receptor and the opioid sensitivity among individuals remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we analyzed the opioid-receptor genes of CXBK recombinant-inbred mice, which show reduced sensitivity to opioids. Northern blotting, nucleotide sequencing, and in situ hybridization histochemical analyses demonstrated that CXBK mice possessed mu-OR mRNA with a normal coding region but an abnormally long untranslated region (UTR). In addition, the mu-OR mRNA level in CXBK mice was less than in the control mice. Next, we produced littermate mice that had inherited two copies of the wild-type mu-OR gene, had inherited two copies of the CXBK mu-OR gene, and had inherited both copies of the mu-OR genes. In these mice, inheritance of the CXBK mu-OR gene was well correlated with less mu-OR mRNA and reduced opioid effects on nociception and locomotor activity. We conclude that the CXBK mu-OR gene is responsible for the CXBK phenotypes. Because UTR differences are known to affect the level of the corresponding mRNA and protein and because UTRs are more divergent among individuals than coding regions, the present findings suggest that opioid sensitivity may vary, depending on different mu-OR levels attributable to divergent UTR of mu-OR mRNA.

Animals↗

Corticobasal degeneration presenting with nonfluent primary progressive aphasia: a clinicopathological study.

A 62-year-old woman initially presented with slowly progressive nonfluent aphasia with minimal intellectual involvement. Echolalia and personality change were prominent whereas parkinsonian features and signs suggesting parietal lobe dysfunctions were not present. The patient's language deficit was consistent with transcortical motor aphasia. She did not manifest extrapyramidal signs. The patient was diagnosed as having Pick's disease or frontal lobe dementia. She died at age 65, 2 years and 9 months following disease onset. Neuropathological findings including cytoskeletal abnormalities, however, were clearly distinct from those of classical Pick's disease and were consistent with those reported in corticobasal degeneration (CBD). The distribution of her cortical lesions was accentuated in the frontal language-related area. The clinical manifestations in CBD are diverse, and primary progressive nonfluent aphasia should be considered as an initial symptom of CBD. Neuropathological examination of such patients should include cytoskeletal abnormality studies.

Aphasia, Primary Progressive↗

Diagnostic significance of tau protein in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with corticobasal degeneration or progressive supranuclear palsy.

Distinguishing corticobasal degeneration (CBD) from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is clinically and pathologically difficult, and a useful biological marker to discriminative these two diseases has been a subject of clinical interest. In the present study, we assessed tau protein levels in cerebrospinal fluids by sandwich ELISA to distinguish CBD from PSP. The subjects consisted of 27 cases of CBD, 30 cases of PSP, and 36 healthy controls (CTL). The tau values in CBD were significantly higher than those in PSP (P<0.001) and those in CTL (P<0.001). The assay of CSF tau provided diagnostic sensitivity of 81.5% and specificity of 80.0% between CBD and PSP according to receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. When values were compared separately with respect to stage of the disease, differences in the values for moderate CBD vs. moderate PSP had the greatest significance (P<0.001 sensitivity 92.3%, specificity 100.0%), followed by cases of mild CBD and PSP (P<0.005, sensitivity 100.0%, specificity 87.5%). The values in severe CBD and PSP were not significantly different (P=0.07, sensitivity 100%, specificity 75.0%). Using data obtained from a larger number of disease cases, we confirmed our previous findings that tau protein levels in cerebrospinal fluids in patients with CBD are significantly higher than those in patients with PSP. Because tau protein levels in cerebrospinal fluids are significantly higher in early CBD cases than in early PSP cases, measurement of tau protein levels in cerberospinal fluids may be useful for the differential diagnosis of early CBD from early PSP.

Aged↗

Immunohistochemical localization of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in rat and human brain tissues.

We investigated immunohistochemically the localization of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) in rat and human brain tissues. In rat, neurons and astrocytes were stained positively for PAI-1 after colchicine treatment. In post-mortem human brain, neurons were stained for PAI-1 but the number of positive neurons varied greatly from case to case. PAI-1 positive astrocytes occurred in the white matter lesions of some patients. In Alzheimer's disease, weak PAI-1 labeling was seen in association with senile plaques and ghost tangles. The present results support a notion that PAI-1 and its target proteases such as plasminogen activators and thrombin are involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes in brain.

Aged↗

Efficacy of IFN therapy based on duration period of negative HCV-RNA during IFN administration.

We assessed the relationship between the duration period of negative hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA during interferon (IFN) therapy and the efficacy after prolonged IFN therapy in patients with HCV-genotype 1b and high virus load of more than 1 mega equivalents/ml (Meq/ml) retrospectively. A total of 100 patients who had HCV-genotype 1b and a high virus load of more than 1 Meq/ml and were treated with natural IFN-alpha for more than 12 months were enrolled in this trial. These patients were given 6 MU of IFN daily for 8 weeks, followed by three times weekly for another more than 44 weeks. The HCV-RNA pattern during IFN therapy according to negative or positive of the serum HCV-RNA by reverse transcription nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR) from 2 months after the initiation of IFN to the termination of IFN were classified as follows: group 1: constant negative HCV-RNA (n=41 cases), group 2: constant positive HCV-RNA (n=35 cases), group 3: HCV-RNA pattern except for group 1 or group 2 (n=24 cases). A complete response (CR) was defined as negative HCV-RNA by RT-nested PCR at two points, 3 and 6 months after the completion of IFN therapy. CR rate was 58.5% (24 cases) in group 1, but CR rate in group 2 or group 3 was 0%. In group 1, the CR rate was 100% (10/10) in patients with negative HCV-RNA constantly for period of more than 24 months during IFN therapy. On the other hand, all patients who had positive HCV-RNA 2 months after the initiation of IFN did not get CR. In conclusion, it seems to us that the attainment of constantly negative HCV-RNA for the period of more than 24 months during IFN therapy is highly related to CR.

Journal Article↗

Drugs of abuse in a non-conventional sample; detection of methamphetamine and its main metabolite, amphetamine in abusers' clothes by HPLC with UV and fluorescence detection.

In this paper, we report the detection of methamphetamine and its major metabolite, amphetamine, in garments belong to known-abusers. These compounds were extracted from the textile using a mixture of chloroform:propan-2-ol (3:1, v/v), derivatized with 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl) benzoyl chloride and separated using a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The derivatives were detected by measuring either fluorescence at 440 nm or absorbance at 330 nm. By using 1-methyl-3-phenyl propylamine as an internal standard, calibration curves of spiked textile samples were linear over a wide range with correlation coefficients of 0.997 or better. Detection limits at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were less than or equal to 37.3 and 0.4 pg on column for the high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet and -fluorescence detection methods, respectively. Intra- and inter-day variations at high and low concentrations (n > or = 3) were < or =12.7%. The developed methods were successfully applied to the determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine in clothes samples belong to abusers.

1-Propanol↗

Induction of urokinase-type plasminogen activator by the anthracycline antibiotic in human RC-K8 lymphoma and H69 lung-carcinoma cells.

Current evidence has suggested the possible involvement of ROS as signaling messengers in IL-1beta- or LPS-induced gene expression. We previously reported that both IL-1beta and LPS induce uPA in RC-K8 human lymphoma cells. Here, we provide evidence that ROS-generating anthracycline antibiotics, including doxorubicin and aclarubicin, upregulate uPA expression in 2 human malignant cell lines, RC-K8 and H69 small-cell lung-carcinoma cells. Both doxorubicin and aclarubicin markedly increased uPA accumulation in RC-K8- and H69-conditioned medium in a dose-dependent manner. In each case, maximal induction was observed at a sublethal concentration, i.e., at a concentration where cell growth was slightly inhibited. Both doxorubicin and aclarubicin increased uPA mRNA levels, and induction in each case reached the maximal level 9 hr after stimulation. Doxorubicin barely changed the half-life of uPA mRNA and activated uPA gene transcription. Antioxidants such as NAC and PDTC inhibited doxorubicin-induced uPA mRNA accumulation. Microarray analysis, using Human Cancer CHIP version 2 (Takara Shuzo, Kyoto, Japan), in which 425 human cancer-related genes were spotted on glass plates, revealed that uPA is 1 of 3 genes that were clearly upregulated in H69 cells by doxorubicin stimulation. These findings suggest that the anthracycline induces uPA in human malignant cells by activating gene transcription in which ROS may be involved. Therefore, by upregulating uPA expression, the anthracycline may influence many biologic cell functions mediated by the uPA/plasmin system.

Aclarubicin↗

Risk factors of hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis in young adults: positive family history of liver disease and transporter associated with antigen processing 2(TAP2)*0201 Allele.

The aim of this study was to clinically characterize young patients with hepatitis-C-related cirrhosis. We compared 27 patients with liver cirrhosis (Group LC) who were anti-HCV positive, aged 40 years or less at the time of diagnosis, with 323 consecutive patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis (Group CH) matched for age and gender. Furthermore, Group LC was divided into two arbitrary groups (29-35 years, n = 8 /36-40 years, n = 19), based on the age of patients at the time of diagnosis of liver cirrhosis. Patients' characteristics and family history were investigated, and the frequency of transporter associated with antigen processing 2 (TAP2) was determined. A family history of liver disease was present in 40.7% of Group LC but in 18.0% of Group CH (P < 0.05). The younger the age of diagnosis of cirrhosis in Group LC, the higher the frequency of a positive family history (29-35 years, 87.5%; 36-40 years, 21.1%, P < 0.05). The frequency of TAP2*0201 was significantly higher in young adult patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis than in HCV carriers with normal ALT (P < 0.05), and tended to be higher than in uninfected normal subjects (P = 0.05). The cumulative survival rate of cirrhosis patients with family history of liver diseases was significantly lower than that of cirrhosis patients without such history (P < 0.05). Our findings suggest that a positive family history of liver disease and TAP2*0201 polymorphism may be risk factors for HCV-related liver cirrhosis in young adults.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Genotype may correlate with liver carcinogenesis and tumor characteristics in cirrhotic patients infected with hepatitis B virus subtype adw.

To identify the influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype on development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and clinical outcome in chronic HBV infection, 26 consecutive cirrhotic patients infected with HBV subtype adw were investigated prospectively. HBV serology was undertaken using subtype-specific antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigens. The HBV genotype was determined by sequencing directly the polymerase chain reaction products of the HBV S gene. When HCC occurred, patients underwent transcatheter arterial embolization therapy. If tumor necrosis was incomplete, additional embolization therapy was carried out after a 3- to 4-month interval. At a median follow-up of 14.1 years (range 2.2 to 31.7), HCC occurred in 9 (35%) of 26 patients. Nineteen patients were infected with genotype B and 7 with genotype C. Four of the 19 genotype B patients (21%) and 5 of the 7 genotype C patients (71%) developed HCC (P = 0.058). Patient age (<45 years or 45 < or = ) at diagnosis of cirrhosis was the only significant independent factor influencing liver carcinogenesis by multiple logistic regression analysis and Cox's regression analysis (P = 0.0069 and 0.029, respectively). When analysis was limited to the age of 45 years or more at the last visit, genotype was the only contributory factor to HCC development by univariate analysis (P = 0.038). Whereas genotype B patients responded well to embolization therapy and had no recurrence of HCC for a prolonged period of time, genotype C patients showed poor responses and died of hepatic failure due to rapid HCC progression despite embolization therapy. The cumulative incidence of survival was significantly higher in the genotype B group (P = 0.0049). The HBV genotype correlated with the development of HCC, response to embolization therapy, and recurrence of HCC. Determination of HBV genotype may be useful in predicting outcomes in HBV subtype adw-related cirrhosis.

Adult↗

Antitumor immunity induced by irradiated tumor cells producing macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

We previously reported that administration into mice of mouse lymphoid leukemia L1210 cells engineered to secrete macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) could lead to tumor rejection. Here, we demonstrate that inoculation with irradiated M-CSF-producing cells protects mice against a subsequent challenge with unmodified parental tumor cells. We used 2 experimental protocols: the inoculation with irradiated M-CSF-producing L1210 cells (EM5) before the challenge with parental cells and after the challenge with parental cells. Both protocols effectively improved the survival rate of mice compared with protocols in which irradiated non-M-CSF-producing L1210 cells (EM-mock) were inoculated. Inoculation with 1 x 10(2) irradiated EM5 cells was sufficient to prolong the survival time of mice subsequently challenged with 1 x 10(4) parental cells. In vivo depletion experiments with administration of antibodies suggested the involvement of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells in the antitumor effect. Consistent with these findings, the cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity of splenocytes from EM5-inoculated mice was higher than that from EM-mock-inoculated mice, and L1210 tumors were heavily infiltrated by CD4+ T cells and NK cells as well as macrophages in EM5-inoculated mice.

Animals↗