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Biomedical subjects

K Imai

Publications and source records attributed to K Imai.

At least 1,567 records · Page 87Linked to original sources

A simple and sensitive assay of total serum bile acids.

A simple and sensitive method was developed for the quantification of serum total 3alpha-hydroxy bile acids. 0.1 ml of serum was mixed with tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane hydrochloric acid buffer and heated at 67 degrees C for 30 min. To the solution were added 3alpha-hydroxysteroid : oxidoreductase (EC 1.1.1.50; 3alpha-HSD), NAD, diaphorase (EC 1.6.4.3) and resazurin. The mixture was incubated at 20 degrees C for 1 h. The resultant fluorescence of resorfin was measured at 580 nm with the excitation at 560 nm. The blank value was obtained after the same treatment of another 0.1 ml of the same serum without 3alpha-HSD. A linear relationship was obtained between the amount of bile acids and the fluorescence intensities in the range of 1 to 150 mumol/1. The recovery of bile acids added to the serum was 81.4 +/- 2.5 (S.D.)% for cholate, chenodeoxycholate and deoxycholate. The bile acid content in the serum was 48.8 mumol/1 with a standard deviation of +/- 0.42 and a coefficient of variation of +/- 0.87% in 10 replicate determinations. The mean bile acid content of normal fasting male sera was 8.0 mumol/1 (3.6-12.6 mumol/1, n = 12) and of female sera 6.8 mumol/1 (3.2-12.7 mumol/1, n = 13).

Bile Acids and Salts↗

Gas chromatography of bile acids as their hexafluoroisopropyl ester-trifluoroacetyl derivatives.

Bile acids, such as cholic, chenodeoxycholic, deoxycholic, lithocholic and ursodeoxycholic acids, were allowed to react with hexafluoroisopropanol and tri-fluoracetic anhydride at 37 for 30 min. The resulting derivatives were gas chromatographed on QF-1, with flame ionization detection, and were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Separation was good. By using this method, these acids were detected in samples of human duodenal fluid; the ratios of each were 24.4, 41.5, 24.9, 2.3 and 6.9%, respectively.

Bile Acids and Salts↗

Histochemical studies on the morphology of the Golgi apparatus and on the enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in various nuclei of the rat mesencephalon.

Detailed histochemical studies have been conducted on the distribution of various enzymes such as thiamine pyrophosphatase, alpha-glucan phosphorylase, hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase in various components of the nucleus Edinger-Westphali, nucleus n. oculomotorii, nucleus ruber and nucleus niger of healthy adult male Wistar strain rats. The thiamine pyrophosphatase reaction showed the morphological patterns of the Golgi apparatus characteristic for each nucleus. The Golgi apparatus was well developed in the nucleus Edinger-Westphali, composing a network of highly fenestrated plates in the nucleus n. oculomotorii and nucleus ruber, and a simple network in the nucleus niger. These results indicate that the former three nuclei need a rich energy supply and argue against the possibility that the four nuclei have a secretory role. The neurons of the nucleus Edinger-Westphali may derive their energy mainly from glucose of the circulating blood, but glial cells may serve as energy donators to the neurons in the pars compacta of the nucleus niger, and the neurons of the other nuclei may derive energy from both sources. These conclusions are consistent with the morphological patterns of the Golgi apparatus.

Carbohydrate Metabolism↗

Effect of protein-bound polysaccharide preparation, PS-K, on the immune response of mice to sheep red blood cells.

The protein-bound polysaccharide preparation, PS-K, was found to potentiate the production of hemolytic plaque-forming cells of spleen and serum hemagglutinin in C57BL/6 mice, when they were immunized with a low dose of sheep red blood cells. PS-K was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 150 mg/kg daily for 5 days. Ten days later, the mice were immunized with either 4 X 10(8) or 1 X 10(7) sheep red blood cells. Both the number of plaque-forming cells in their spleen and the amount of serum hemagglutinin were significantly higher in the PS-K treated mice when 1 X10(7) sheep red blood cells were used as an immunizing dose.

Animals↗

The oxygen affinity of haemoglobin Tak, a variant with an elongated beta chain.

The oxygen affinity was investigated of purified Hb Tak, a human haemoglobin variant with elongated beta-chains. A very low P50 value was found which was not influenced by the addition of 2,3 diphosphoglycerate. The n value was 1, indicating non-cooperativity. The oxygen equilibrium curve of the whole blood haemolysate containing Hbs A and Tak was close to that of Hb A at the top of the curve, while the bottom of the curve greatly deviated from the latter, indicative of small if any interaction between Hb A and Tak during oxygenation.

Diphosphoglyceric Acids↗

Thermodynamical studies of oxygen equilibrium of hemoglobin. Nonuniform heats and entropy changes for the individual oxygenation steps and enthalpy-entropy compensation.

Precise oxygen equilibrium curves of human adult hemoglobin were determined by the automatic recording method at several temperatures in the presence and absence of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) or inositol hexaphosphate (IHP) with 0.05 M 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2,2',2''-nitrolotriethanol (bis-tris) buffers (pH 7.4) containing 0.1 M Cl-. The equilibrium data were analyzed according to the Adair scheme, and the heats, deltaHi (i = 1,2,3,4) and the entropy changes, deltaSi (i = 1,2,3,4), for the individual oxygenation steps were obtained. The shape of the equilibrium curve varies on temperature changes whether DPG or IHP is present or absent. In consequence, the deltaHi value depends on i and on the presence of DPG and IHP. Behavior of deltaSi is similar to that of deltaHi. The similar behavior of deltaHi and deltaSi resulted in a compensation phenomenon. The contribution of T cdeltaSi to the free energy change is compensated by the contribution of deltaHi at the first three oxygenation steps but not at the fourth step, and for i = 1,2, and 3 changes of T cdeltaSi value upon the addition of DPG and IHP are compensated by accompanied changes of deltaHi value, where T c (= 260 K) is the compensation temperature. A major part of both the enthalpy-entropy compensation and nonuniformity of deltaHi and deltaSi appears to be attributable to contributions of the oxygen-linked binding of Cl-, DPG and IHP, by hemoglobin. The present results do not necessarily support the earlier idea of Wyman that the cooperative oxygenbinding is essentially an entropy effect.

Adult↗

Gas-liquid chromatographic and mass fragmentographic determination of 3-O-methylated catecholamines in human plasma.

Plasma 3-O-methylated catecholamines, i.e. 3-methoxytyramine, normetanephrine and metanephrine, were separated from catecholamines by passing through alumina and further purified by adsorbing on weakly acidic resin and Amberlite XAD-4. The amines were trifluoroacetylated and determined by gas chromatography or mass fragmentography. Tracer quantities of tritiated 3-MT, NMN or MN were used as internal standards for total recovery estimations. The contents of 3-O-methylated catecholamines in the plasma of normal persons and patients with hyperthyroidism, hypertension, neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma were measured.

Adult↗