[Pheochromocytoma with severe paralytic ileus occurred from acute pulmonary edema caused by metoclopramide].
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Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
Biomedical subjects
K Kitamura
Publications and source records attributed to K Kitamura.
Effect of quinapril versus nitrendipine on endothelial dysfunction in patients with systemic hypertension.
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Aged↗
[Therapeutic policy for malignant lymphoma of the aged].
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Aged↗
Secretion of proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide from cultured neonatal rat cardiac cells.
Proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) is generated from post-transcriptional enzymatic processing of a 185-amino acid precursor for adrenomedullin (AM), a potent vasodilator peptide. We have reported that AM is secreted from cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts, and that secreted AM modulates the growth of these cells; however, it is unknown whether or not the cardiac cells produce PAMP. In this study, we examined the production of PAMP in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts. Both the cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts cultured with serum-free media secreted PAMP time-dependently at rates of 5.7+/-0.9 fmol/10(5) cells/40 h and 8.4+/-0.7 fmol/5x10(4) cells/48 h (mean+/-SD), respectively. Reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography showed that immunoreactive PAMP secreted from these cells was identical to PAMP[1-20], a whole active molecule. PAMP and AM secretions were significantly (P<0.01) stimulated by 10(-6) mol/L angiotensin II (Ang II) and 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) in myocytes and fibroblasts, whereas the ratio of PAMP to AM secretion in the myocytes was smaller than that of the fibroblasts. These results suggest that PAMP is secreted along with AM from rat cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts, and the secretion is augmented by the growth-promoting stimuli of Ang II and FBS for these cells.
Adrenomedullin↗
Mitosis and apoptosis in postnatal auditory system of the C3H/He strain.
The mouse auditory neurons, hair cells and their supporting cells in the cochlea are considered to be generated mainly in the embryonic days and to be sustained throughout the whole life. In the present study, however, we observed that auditory ganglion cells in the spiral ganglia undergo apoptosis and mitosis in the suckling mouse (1- to 2-week-old C3H/HeJ mice) with a normal auditory system. In spiral ganglia at postnatal days 7 (P7) and 10 (P10), TUNEL (TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling)-positive and morphologically apoptotic ganglion cells were found. Furthermore, by bromodeoxyuridine labeling, mitosis of auditory ganglion cells was found at P10 to P14. In a functional study of auditory brainstem response, we demonstrated that the C3H/HeJ mouse acquires the ability to hear airborne sound at P12 and this is the same time as the opening of their external acoustic meatus (EAM). These results indicate that C3H/HeJ auditory ganglion cells have the ability to proliferate even after opening of the EAM and the initial input of airborne sound. We found that postnatal apoptosis and mitosis after P7 also occurred in the greater epithelial ridge (GER) which is an important organ for maturation of the organ of Corti and is located around the inner hair cells. This indicates that GER cells are not only degenerated but also regenerated until their disappearance around P12. This is the first report on mammals to demonstrate that neuronal mitosis of spiral ganglion cells and that of GER cells occur not only in embryonic and neonatal development but also in postnatal development of the normal auditory system.
Age Factors↗
Antinociceptive action of amlodipine blocking N-type Ca2+ channels at the primary afferent neurons in mice.
We investigated the antinociceptive action of amlodipine, a dihydropyridine derivative, which acts on both L- and N-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs), in mice. Intrathecal injection of amlodipine (300 nmol/kg) significantly shortened the licking time in the late phase of a formalin test, while no effect was found with another dihydropyridine derivative, nicardipine (300 nmol/kg). Cilnidipine and omega-conotoxin GVIA also showed marked analgesic effects under the same experimental conditions. Transcripts of alpha1A, alpha1B, alpha1E, alpha1F, alpha1H, beta3, and beta4 subunits were detected by polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) in the dorsal root ganglion, suggesting the existence of a variety of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Electrophysiological experiments showed that amlodipine and cilnidipine inhibit N-type currents in the dorsal root ganglion cells. These results suggest that amlodipine, cilnidipine, and omega-conotoxin GVIA exert their antinociceptive actions by blocking N-type Ca2+ channels in the primary nociceptive afferent fibers. Blocking of the Ca2+ channels results in attenuation of synaptic transmission of nociceptive neurons. Furthermore, it is suggested that some N-type Ca2+ channel blockers might have therapeutic potential as analgesics when applied directly into the subarachnoidal space.
Amlodipine↗
Impact of peri-stent remodeling on restenosis: a volumetric intravascular ultrasound study.
BACKGROUND: Vessel remodeling is an important mechanism of late lumen loss after nonstent coronary interventions. However, its impact on in-stent restenosis has not been systematically investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serial volumetric intravascular ultrasound analyses (poststent and follow-up) were performed in 55 lesions treated with a balloon-expandable stent (ACS MultiLink) using standard stent deployment techniques. The vessel volume (VV), lumen volume (LV), and volume bordered by the stent (SV) were measured using Simpson's method. The volume of plaque and neointima outside the stent (peri-stent volume, PSV) and volume of neointima within the stent (intrastent volume) were also measured. The change of each parameter during the follow-up period (follow-up minus poststent) was calculated and then divided by SV to normalize these values (designated as percent change [%]). As expected, %PSV directly correlated with %VV (P<0.0001, r=0.935), with no significant SV. A highly significant inverse correlation was seen between %PSV and the percent change of intrastent volume (P<0.0001, r=0.517). Consequently, %LV significantly correlated with peri-stent remodeling, as measured by %VV (P<0.0001, r=0.602). CONCLUSION: Positive remodeling of the vessel exterior to a coronary stent occurs to a variable degree after stent implantation. There is a distinct trade-off between positive remodeling and in-stent hyperplasia: in segments in which the degree of peri-stent remodeling is less, intrastent neointimal proliferation is greater and accompanied by more significant late lumen loss.
Aged↗
Effects of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides against opioid receptors on the receptor mRNA contents.
It was demonstrated in the previous study that the microinjection of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (AS ODN) against mu-opioid receptor (MOR) into periaqueductal gray (PAG) of rat brain selectively decreased the MOR mRNA content in PAG, and the decrease in MOR mRNA content was enhanced by pretreatment of the PAG with MOR AS ODN. In the present investigation, effects of the pretreatment of PAG with AS ODN against kappa- or delta-opioid receptor (KOR or DOR) on the decrease in the MOR mRNA content induced by MOR AS ODN were examined. Both KOR and DOR AS ODNs significantly decreased the target mRNA contents, while they did not significantly change MOR mRNA content. The decrease in MOR mRNA content induced by MOR AS ODN, however, was significantly enhanced by the pretreatment of PAG with either KOR or DOR AS ODNs. Results show that the AS ODN has both the specific target mRNA decreasing action and the nonspecific enhancing action on the AS-induced decrease in the mRNA content.
Animals↗
Prognostic significance of lymphocyte infiltration following preoperative chemoradiotherapy and hyperthermia for esophageal cancer.
PURPOSE: Lymphocyte infiltration (LI) around cancerous lesions is an important immune response. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of LI after preoperative treatment for esophageal cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CR therapy), either bleomycin 30 mg or cisplatin 120 mg/m(2) plus radiation 30 Gy, was performed on 51 cases with esophageal cancer, while hyperthermo-chemoradiotherapy (HCR therapy) was also indicated in 71 cases. Using resected specimens, both the histopathologic effectiveness and degree of LI to cancerous lesions were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidences of the cases in which preoperative treatment was effective were 56% and 92.3% in LI (-) and LI (++) group (p < 0.05). The presence of LI resulted in favorable prognosis; the 5-year survival rates of LI (++) and LI (+) patients were 75.5% and 46.1%, both of which were significantly better than LI (-) (27.8%, p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Especially among cases whose preoperative treatment was moderately effective, a multivariate analysis revealed LI to be a favorable prognostic factor independent of other clinicopathologic factors (p = 0.0171). Regarding the preoperative treatment, the incidence of LI (++) was higher in the HCR group (16.9%) than in the CR group (2.0%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LI appears to be a prognostic predictor after preoperative CR therapy while, in addition, simultaneous hyperthermia may stimulate LI in cases with esophageal cancer.
Analysis of Variance↗
Selective inhibition of nicotinic cholinergic receptors by proadrenomedullin N-terminal 12 peptide in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.
We studied whether a novel proadrenomedullin derived peptide was present and what was its physiological function in cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. We found a high level of proadrenomedullin N-terminal 12 peptide (PAMP-12) which consists of a peptide from 9th amino acid to 20th amino acid of proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP-20). PAMP-12 was released from the cells along with catecholamine upon stimulation of nicotinic cholinergic receptors. When PAMP-12 was added in the incubation medium, this peptide inhibited nicotinic receptor-mediated catecholamine release and influx of Na(+) and Ca(2+) into the cells. PAMP-12 did not affect catecholamine release evoked by histamine or by depolarization by high concentration of potassium. PAMP-12 also inhibited synthesis of catecholamines as well as the activation of tyrosine hydroxylase by nicotinic stimulation. Thus, PAMP-12 is an endogenous peptide that regulates release and synthesis of catecholamines by acting on nicotinic cholinergic receptors in an autocrine manner in adrenal chromaffin cells.
Adrenal Medulla↗
Coronary remodeling of proximal and distal stenotic atherosclerotic plaques within the same artery by intravascular ultrasound study.
The aim of this intravascular ultrasound study was to compare the type and the degree of vessel remodeling in proximal and distal de novo lesions within the same coronary artery in patients with stable angina pectoris. Seventy-six de novo coronary artery lesions in 38 coronary arteries of 38 patients were imaged by intravascular ultrasound. The vessel area (VA) within the external elastic lamina and the lumen area (LA) were measured, and the wall area (VA-LA) was calculated at the lesion site, and the proximal and distal reference sites. The VA ratio was defined as (lesion VA/average of the proximal and distal reference VAs) to represent the degree of vessel remodeling. The proximal coronary segments showed compensatory enlargement more often (68% vs 29%, p < 0.01) than the distal segments, and the VA ratio at the lesion site was significantly larger (1.1 +/- 0.3 vs 1.0 +/- 0.2, p <0 .01) in proximal segments than in distal segments. The type of coronary remodeling was discordant in 61% and concordant in only 39% of coronary arteries between the proximal and distal segments. The type of coronary remodeling of proximal and distal coronary lesions was inhomogeneous, even within the same vessel. Proximal coronary segments showed more prominent compensatory enlargement than distal segments, which have a similar degree of luminal narrowings.
Adult↗
Antigens of monoclonal antibody NB3C4 are novel markers for oligodendrocytes.
We produced NB3C4, a novel monoclonal antibody specific for oligodendrocytes, using human neuroblastoma IMR-32 cells. NB3C4 specifically recognized oligodendrocytes in the CNS, although it bound to neuroblastoma IMR-32 cells and oligodendrocytes in vitro. Double immunofluorescence staining of rat brain using NB3C4 and anti-GST-pi, anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), or anti-neurofilament 200 (NF) antibody revealed that anti-GST-pi antibody identified an oligodendrocyte marker recognizing NB3C4-positive cells, while both anti-GFAP and anti-NF antibody did not. Western blotting of rat brain homogenates showed that NB3C4 bound three proteins of 22-28 kDa, while the anti-GST-pi recognized a 27 kDa protein. Therefore, antigens recognized by NB3C4 could be novel markers for oligodendrocytes.
Animals↗
Angioplasty decreases prolonged QT dispersion in patients with angina pectoris but not in patients with prior myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Prolonged QT dispersion (QTd) is shortened by successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in patients with ischemic heart disease. Particularly, QTd plays an important role in the prognostication in patients with prior myocardial infarction (MI). However, whether the effect of PTCA on QTd differs in patients with and without prior MI is not clear, and this study sought to clarify this question. METHODS: In 41 consecutive patients with ischemic heart disease, we measured QTd from a routine 12-lead electrocardiogram taken at 72 h before and after successful PTCA. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of prior MI: Group 1 consisted of 24 patients with angina (61 +/- 11 years old) without prior MI and Group 2 was comprised of 17 patients (69 +/- 10 years old) with prior MI. QTd was calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum QT and QT corrected for heart rate (QTc), using Bazett's formula for calculating QTcd. All measurements were obtained manually and blindly. RESULTS: In Group 1, 15 of 24 patients (63%) demonstrated multivessel disease and 16 of 24 (67%) patients had high QTd > 60 ms. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty decreased QTd and QTcd in Group 1 (QTd, from 83 +/- 35 to 57 +/- 19 ms, p < 0.05 ; QTcd, from 89 +/- 37 to 63 +/- 33 ms, p < 0.05), whereas no changes were observed in Group 2 (QTd, from 73 +/- 25 to 69 +/- 22 ms, NS; QTcd, from 80 +/- 30 to 79 +/- 28 ms, NS). QTd is more sensitive to decrease by successful PTCA in patients with angina than in patients with prior MI. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of successful PTCA on inhomogeneity of ventricular repolarization reflected by QTd in patients with prior MI is different from that in patients without prior MI.
Aged↗
A novel Cdc20-related WD-repeat protein, Fzr1, is required for spore formation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Ste9/Srw1 which shows sequence homology to Hctl from budding yeast, is an activator of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. By homology search of the S. pombe genome, we identified the gene fr1+, which encodes the protein with the highest homology to Ste9 among five Cdc20-like proteins. Like Ste9, Fzr1 contains seven WD-repeats in its C-terminal region. In spite of this structural similarity, however, overproduction of either of these proteins cannot complement mutants lacking the other. fzr1+ is transcribed exclusively during meiosis and sporulation, suggesting that it plays a role in these processes. In fact, the fzr1 disruptant formed aberrant asci, which contained only one or two mature spores, though meiotic nuclear divisions proceeded with kinetics similar to wild type, and meiotic segregation of chromosomes was normal. Structural alteration of spindle pole bodies, which is a prerequisite for the formation of the forespore membrane, occurred normally in fzr1delta during the second meiotic division. Localization of spore rim marker proteins fused to green fluorescent protein showed that nascent prespores were irregularly shaped, small in size and few in number in fzr1delta cells compared to wild-type cells. Furthermore, electron microscopy revealed that the outer layer of the spore walls was often missing in fzr1delta spores. These results show that Fzr1 is specifically involved in the assembly of the spore envelope and also in spore maturation. Fzr1, a structural homolog of the APC regulator, therefore plays an important role in spore morphogenesis.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Distribution and molecular forms of adrenomedullin and proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide in the porcine gastrointestinal tract.
Adrenomedullin (AM) and proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) are potent hypotensive peptides that are generated from the same precursor and expressed in a variety of mammalian tissues. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the distribution and endogenous molecular forms of AM and PAMP. To this end, we used new radioimmunoassays that recognize the ring structure of AM and the C-terminal region of PAMP to compare the distribution of AM and PAMP in porcine gastrointestinal tissues. Immunoreactive AM was abundant in the duodenum (0.334+/-0.132 fmol/mg) and ileum (0.439+/-0.235 fmol/mg), and ubiquitous in other gastrointestinal tissues. The duodenal and ileal concentrations of AM were about 4 to 14 times higher than those in other gastrointestinal tissues. Similarly, immunoreactive PAMP was abundant in the duodenum (0.577+/-0.417 fmol/mg) and ileum (1.575+/-1.445 fmol/mg) and ubiquitous in other gastrointestinal tissues. The concentrations of immunoreactive AM and PAMP were highest in the ileum. Characterization of these peptides in the ileum, using high-performance liquid chromatography, showed that they were authentic. Furthermore, the concentrations of immunoreactive AM and PAMP in the mucosa and submucosa of the ileum were significantly higher than those in whole ileum. These results suggest that AM and PAMP play physiological roles in the porcine small intestine.
Adrenomedullin↗
Endoscopic extirpation of benign breast tumors using an extramammary approach.
BACKGROUND: Skin incision has been made directly in the breast for treatment of benign breast tumor in spite of the young age of the patient population. METHODS: Small incisions (12 mm, 5 mm, and 2 mm) were made in the extramammary line, and the benign tumors (diagnosed by imaging and aspiration needle cytology) were endoscopically extirpated. RESULTS: The mean age of 36 patients was 27.6 years, and the mean mass size was 3.6 cm (7 masses at maximum). The average operation time per mass was 2.6 hours in the first 18 operations and 1.4 hours in the latter 19 operations. Overall blood loss was 19 mL. Postoperative complications were seen in 2 patients: an extended subcutaneous emphysema due to excessive CO2 gas inflation and a mild burn, both of which were reversible. All patients were extremely satisfied with the cosmetic results of the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic removal by the extramammary approach is the best option for benign breast tumors considering the patient's age and the excellent cosmetic results.
Adolescent↗
Fast lipid disorientation at the onset of membrane fusion revealed by molecular dynamics simulations.
Membrane fusion is a key event in vesicular trafficking in every cell, and many fusion-related proteins have been identified. However, how the actual fusion event occurs has not been elucidated. By using molecular dynamics simulations we found that when even a small region of two membranes is closely apposed such that only a limited number of water molecules remain in the apposed area (e.g., by a fusogenic protein and thermal membrane fluctuations), dramatic lipid disorientation results within 100 ps-2 ns, which might initiate membrane fusion. Up to 12% of phospholipid molecules in the apposing layers had their alkyl chains outside the hydrophobic region, lying almost parallel to the membrane surface or protruding out of the bilayer by 2 ns after two membranes were closely apposed.
Cell Membrane↗
Action sites of adrenomedullin in the rat brain: functional mapping by Fos expression.
The effects of intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of adrenomedullin (AM) and proadrenomedullin NH2-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) on the expression of Fos in the central nervous system (CNS) were examined in conscious rats, using immunohistochemistry. Fos-like immunoreactivity (LI) was detected in various brain areas of the rats, including the supraoptic nucleus, the paraventricular nucleus, the locus coeruleus, the area postrema and the nucleus of the tractus solitarius 90 min after icv administration of AM. Few cells with Fos-LI were found in the CNS 90 min after icv administration of saline. Fos-LI was also detected in the various hypothalamic areas after icv administration of PAMP. These results suggest that centrally administered AM and PAMP may cause physiological responses through the activation of a neural network in the hypothalamus and the brainstem.
Adrenomedullin↗