Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Itoi

Publications and source records attributed to K Itoi.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Familial occurrence of adult-type neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis.

The adult type of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) occurred in a 49-year-old man and his 51-year-old sister. They showed episodic stuporous and psychotic states, mental retardation, generalized convulsions, and ichthyosis vulgaris. At autopsy the woman had excessive accumulation of lipofuscin throughout the CNS. The degree of neuronal lipopigment accumulation was very severe in the neurons of the thalamus, substantia nigra, inferior olivary nuclei, motor nuclei of the brain stem, and cerebral cortex. Mental symptoms, such as stupor, excitement, hallucinations, and delusions, were the predominant clinical manifestations and so were misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. Though the clinical diagnosis of the adult type of NCL (Kufs' disease) is difficult because of its wide variety of manifestations, symptoms such as episodic psychotic and stuporous states accompanied by convulsive disorders with mild neurologic signs may be an indication of this disease.

Age Factors↗

Mode of action of furosemide on the chloride-dependent short-circuit current across the ciliary body epithelium of toad eyes.

The effects of furosemide on the chloride-dependent short-circuit current across the toad ciliary epithelium were examined. Under control conditions, the short-circuit current obeyed Michaelis-Menten kinetics against medium chloride concentration, the Michaelis constant (Km) for chloride being 90 mM and the maximal short-circuit current (Vmax) 128 mu A/cm2. Furosemide added to the aqueous side of the epithelium rapidly reduced the short-circuit current; the effect was reversible. The effect of furosemide addition to the stromal side was much smaller and slower than that from the aqueous side. The dose-dependent range of furosemide action was from 0.1 micro M to 1 mM with 50% inhibition occurring at about 3 micro M. Lineweaver-Burk plot of the short-circuit current against the chloride concentration showed that furosemide decreased the value of Vmax and increased the Km; the inhibition being of mixed type. A Hill plot of the dose-response curve yielding a slope of unity suggested one furosemide molecule combines with one chloride transport site. Probenecid, a competitive inhibitor of organic acid transport reduced the effects of furosemide significantly when added simultaneously. The involvement of organic acid transport system in the mechanism of furosemide action on chloride transport was suggested.

Animals↗

Unusual case of presenile dementia.

A 63-year-old woman showed the dominant clinical features of aphasia as the initial symptom in the course of presenile progressive dementia. Computerized axial tomography showed strikingly dilated Sylvian fissures, particularly in its posterior aspect, in the presence of moderate diffuse cortical atrophy. EEG revealed a slowdown in activity with the dominance in the left fronto-temporal area. The radiographic and EEG findings correlated well with the clinical data. This case was compared with those of presenile dementia previously reported. This is a unique case report of presenile dementia.

Aphasia↗

[Autopsy case of progressive subcortical gliosis].

A case of a 44-year-old male with progressive subcortical gliosis was presented. The clinical manifestations included mental activity, difficulty in attention, euphoria and inability to work. The impairement of memory was not evident and his personality was fairly well preserved. Neurological examination showed no abnormality. The course was progressive without remission and the patient died with pneumonia approximately fifteen months after the onset of the disease. Laboratory tests revealed unremarkable except for slight degree of glucosuria and elevated F.B.S. Electroencephalography and carotid angiography were within normal. Neuropathological finding revealed that brain weighed 1200 g. and moderate degree of atrophy on frontal to parietotemporal lobes was evident. Occipital lobe was not involved. Microscopic examination revealed such changes as fibrillary gliosis in the cerebral white matter and grey matter in the spinal cord. The lesion in the cerebral white matter was predominent in the frontal lobe. Striatum and brain stem also showed mild degree of fibrillary gliosis. No senility related change such as senile plaque, granulovacuolar degeneration and Alzheimer's neurofibrillary tangle was found. The clinicopathologic findings in this case supported a diagnosis of progressive subcortical gliosis which was first described by Neumann in 1949.

Adult↗

The K+-induced increases in noradrenaline and dopamine release are accompanied by reductions in the release of their intraneuronal metabolites from the rat anterior hypothalamus. An in vivo brain microdialysis study.

The novel technique of microdialysis has been used to examine the basal and K+-induced release of catecholamines and metabolites from the anterior hypothalamus of the urethane-anaesthetized rat in vivo. A high pressure liquid chromatographic assay was developed to simultaneously measure endogenous noradrenaline, dopamine and their intraneuronal metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPEG) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) respectively, in each 60 microliters dialysate sample. The effect of replacing Ca2+ in the perfusion fluid with a low concentration of Cd2+, which blocks Ca2+ effects, was also studied. Increasing the K+ concentration in the perfusion fluid elicited a concentration-dependent increase in noradrenaline and dopamine release. In contrast, there were marked reductions in DOPEG and DOPAC which were not concentration-dependent. In the Ca2+-depleted conditions, the K+-induced increase in amine release was significantly attenuated, but the reductions in the metabolites were not affected. We suggest that the mechanisms contributing to the observed reductions in the metabolites may be inhibition of neuronal reuptake, an increase in neuronal efflux, an enhancement of vesicular uptake and a decrease in vesicular efflux.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

Increases of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in plasma during insulin-induced hypoglycemia in man.

Neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) in plasma during insulin-induced hypoglycemia was measured in 4 healthy male volunteers. Plasma NPY-LI increased from 167 +/- 11 pg/ml to 247 +/- 25 pg/ml 30 min after the administration of insulin (0.1 U/kg body weight IV), reached the maximum (296 +/- 6 pg/ml) 45 min after the insulin, and then decreased. These results suggest that NPY is released into the systemic circulation during insulin-induced hypoglycemia in man.

Adult↗

Calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivities in pheochromocytomas.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is reported to exist in high concentrations in plasma and tumor tissues of medullary thyroid carcinomas. CGRP-like immunoreactivity (LI) in tumor tissues of pheochromocytomas was investigated by radioimmunoassay. CGRP-LI in 9 pheochromocytomas ranged from 0.50 to 1240 ng/g wet tissue. Sephadex G-50 column chromatography revealed that most of CGRP-LI in tumor extracts was eluted in an identical position to synthetic human CGRP. Reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography revealed that CGRP-LI in tumor extracts was eluted in an identical position to synthetic human CGRP and in a more hydrophobic position. These results indicate that high concentrations of CGRP-LI also exist in tumor tissues of pheochromocytomas.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Porcine brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity in rat tissues.

The presence of immunoreactive porcine brain natriuretic peptide in rat tissues was studied with a specific radioimmunoassay for porcine brain natriuretic peptide-26. The cross-reactivity of the antiserum used was less than 0.001% with rat atrial natriuretic peptide, rat brain natriuretic peptide-32 and rat brain natriuretic peptide-45. Immunoreactive porcine brain natriuretic peptide was detectable in various tissues of the rat, and high concentrations of immunoreactive porcine brain natriuretic peptide were found in the brain and cardiac atrium, with the highest level in the hypothalamus (159 +/- 30 fmol/gram wet tissue, mean +/- SEM, n = 4). Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography showed that the immunoreactive porcine brain natriuretic peptide of the whole brain and heart extracts eluted mainly at an identical position to synthetic porcine brain natriuretic peptide-26. These findings indicate that porcine brain natriuretic peptide-like substance, distinct from rat brain natriuretic peptide, is present in high concentrations in the rat brain and cardiac atrium.

Animals↗

Human brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity in human brain.

The presence of immunoreactive human brain natriuretic peptide in the human brain was studied with a specific radioimmunoassay for human brain natriuretic peptide-32. This assay showed no significant cross-reaction with human alpha atrial natriuretic peptide, porcine brain natriuretic peptide or rat brain natriuretic peptide. Immunoreactive human brain natriuretic peptide was found in all 5 regions of human brain examined (cerebral cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, pons and hypothalamus) (0.6-6.7 pmol/g wet weight, n = 3). These values were comparable to the concentrations of immunoreactive alpha atrial natriuretic peptide in human brain (0.5-10.1 pmol/g wet weight). However, Sephadex G-50 column chromatography showed that the immunoreactive human brain natriuretic peptide in the human brain eluted earlier than synthetic human brain natriuretic peptide-32. These findings suggest that human brain natriuretic peptide is present in the human brain mainly as larger molecular weight forms.

Aged↗

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP)-like immunoreactivity in pheochromocytomas.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a novel hypothalamic peptide consisting of 38 amino acids [PACAP(1-38)] with a potent stimulatory action on adenylate cyclase in rat pituitary. The presence of immunoreactive (IR-) PACAP in the tumor tissue of pheochromocytomas was studied by radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemistry. The antibody to PACAP was raised in a rabbit injected with a peptide containing amino acids 28-38 of PACAP. This antibody showed no significant cross-reactivity with either PACAP(1-27) or vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. The tumor tissue concentrations of IR-PACAP(1-38) were 0.5-57.5 pmol/g wet weight (n = 13) (24.5 +/- 22.4 pmol/g wet weight, mean +/- SD), while those in the normal adrenal glands were 3.58 +/- 2.02 pmol/g wet weight (n = 7) and those in the adrenal cortical tumors were 5.58 +/- 2.02 pmol/g wet weight (n = 6). The IR-PACAP(1-38) concentrations in 7 out of 13 pheochromocytomas exceeded 18 pmol/g wet weight. Sephadex G-50 column chromatography revealed that the IR-PACAP(1-38) in extracts of pheochromocytomas eluted in both the positions of PACAP(1-38) and a larger molecular weight. Reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography of the tumor extracts revealed a peak in the position of PACAP(1-38) and at least four other peaks. Immunocytochemistry of pheochromocytomas showed numerous immunoreactive cells. The immunostaining was abolished by absorption of the antiserum with synthetic PACAP(1-38). These findings indicate that multiple forms of IR-PACAP(1-38) are present in pheochromocytomas.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗