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Biomedical subjects

K Kiuchi

Publications and source records attributed to K Kiuchi.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Comparative effects of nicardipine, a new calcium antagonist, on size of myocardial infarction after coronary artery occlusion in dogs.

To examine whether nicardipine, a dihydropyridine derivative, limits size of myocardial infarction, and to compare the protective effects of nicardipine administered before and early and late after coronary artery occlusion, 99mTc-labeled albumin microspheres were injected into the left atrium during 5 min temporary coronary artery occlusion to determine the extent of the hypoperfused zone (the area at risk). The coronary arteries were then reperfused for 45 min before 6 hr permanent coronary artery occlusion. Fifteen minutes before permanent occlusion, dogs were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 11), a pretreatment group (n = 9), which received at this point 10 micrograms/kg of nicardipine as a loading dose followed by a continuous infusion of 8 micrograms/kg/hr for 6 hr, an early treatment group (n = 9), in which nicardipine treatment was initiated 15 min after occlusion, or a late treatment group (n = 8), in which nicardipine administration was delayed for 3 hr. Six hours after coronary artery occlusion, the hearts were excised and the left ventricle of each was cut into 3 mm thick slices and stained with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. The extent of myocardial necrosis was measured by planimetry of the unstained areas. Thereafter, the same slices were autoradiographed and the extent of the hypoperfused zone was measured by planimetry of the "cold spot." The extent of the hypoperfused zone was identical among the four groups. In the control group, the ratio of the extent of myocardial necrosis to the extent of the hypoperfused zone was 95.8 +/- 3.8% (mean +/- SEM). However, it was significantly smaller in the pretreatment group (59.9 +/- 13.3%, p less than .05) and the early treatment group (49.0 +/- 10.6%, p less than .01) than in the control group. In the late treatment group, this value was not different from that in the control group (86.5 +/- 7.1%). There was a close inverse correlation between reduction of infarct size and the extent of the hypoperfused zone in the pretreatment and early treatment groups. Thus, nicardipine administered before or early after coronary artery occlusion limited infarct size by 37% to 49%, whereas when administration was delayed for 3 hr infarct size was not reduced. Furthermore, nicardipine had more striking effects on the ischemic myocardium of dogs with small hypoperfused zones than on that of dogs with large hypoperfused zones.

Animals↗

A family with beta-galactosidase deficiency: three adults with atypical clinical patterns.

Three adult patients in a single family showed severe myoclonus, ataxia, and pyramidal signs. Enzymatic analysis of lymphocytes, plasma, and cultured skin fibroblasts showed marked deficiency of beta-galactosidase activity, more profound with GM1 ganglioside than with another natural substrate, asialofetuin. Other lysosomal hydrolases were normal. Although the physical signs were similar to those of types 1 and 2 GM1 gangliosidosis, none had bony abnormalities.

Adult↗

A microassay for acid beta-galactosidase activity toward asialofetuin.

To study the enzymatic properties of beta-galactosidase from the patients with a beta-galactosidase deficiency such as GM1 gangliosidosis, determination of enzymatic activity with naturally occurring substrates, asialofetuin in addition to another natural substrate, GM1 ganglioside, is essentially required. With a previously reported, simple and sensitive fluorometric assay for GM1 ganglioside beta-galactosidase using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), optimal reaction conditions were determined for the assay of acid beta-galactosidase activity toward asialofetuin in skin fibroblast homogenates. Under these conditions, reduced enzymatic activities could be detected in cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with type 1 and 3 GM1 gangliosidoses and mucopolysaccharidosis IV-B (Morquio B syndrome). This method was applicable to study of the enzymatic properties of the mutant beta-galactosidase and provided an alternative to assays employing radioactive or artificial substrates.

Asialoglycoproteins↗

Assay of glucocerebrosidase using a fluorescent analogue of glucocerebroside for the diagnosis of Gaucher disease.

For the diagnosis of homozygotes and heterozygotes of Gaucher disease, glucocerebrosidase (glucocerebroside beta-D-glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.45) activity in lymphocytes was measured using a fluorescent analogue of glucocerebroside, 1-0-glucosyl-2-N-(dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulfonyl)-sphingosine as substrate. The activity in lymphocytes from homozygotes of Gaucher disease was found to be reduced markedly. This method is proved to be simple, sensitive, and specific as an assay of glucocerebrosidase activity for the diagnosis of Gaucher disease.

Clinical Enzyme Tests↗

Application of a GM1 ganglioside beta-galactosidase microassay method to diagnosis of GM1 gangliosidosis.

The enzymatic diagnosis of GM1 gangliosidosis, including the diagnosis of heterozygosity, requires a microassay of GM1 ganglioside beta-galactosidase activity in lymphocytes and cultured skin fibroblasts. We have adopted high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to the assay of this enzyme and can measure the activity in crude samples fluorometrically. Reaction conditions were examined to determine those optimal for the assay of GM1 ganglioside beta-galactosidase activity in lymphocyte and skin fibroblast homogenates. Under these optimal conditions, reduced enzymatic activities could be detected in lymphocytes and cultured skin fibroblasts from three patients with GM1 gangliosidosis. Thus, this assay can be used for the diagnosis, rather than the usual assays employing radioactive or artificial substrates.

Adult↗

Use of a fluorescent analogue of galactocerebroside for assay of galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase activity in skin fibroblasts from patients with Krabbe's disease.

In order to diagnose Krabbe's disease (globoid cell leukodystrophy) or its carrier state in patients, galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase (galactosylceramidase) activity in cultured skin fibroblasts was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography using a fluorescent analogue of galactocerebroside, 1-O-galactosyl-2-N-(1-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulfonyl)-sphingosine, as substrate. The enzyme activities in skin fibroblasts of the patients were found to be dramatically reduced when compared with those of controls. The assay can be adopted for diagnostic use in place of assays using radioisotope-labeled natural substrate.

Cells, Cultured↗

A fluorometric microassay procedure for monitoring the enzymatic activity of GM1-ganglioside beta-galactosidase by use of high-performance liquid chromatography.

For the measurement of the enzymatic activity of GM1-ganglioside (II3 NeuAcGgOse4Cer, galactosyl-N-acetylgalactosaminyl-(N-acetylneuraminosyl) galactosyl-glucosylceramide) beta-galactosidase in crude enzyme samples, a microassay using nonradioisotopic GM1-ganglioside was devised. To reduce the volume of the reaction mixture and eliminate the interferences due to the fluorescent contaminants in the reaction mixture, NADH, a product after the oxidation of the released galactose with NAD and beta-galactose dehydrogenase, was fluorometrically estimated by use of high-performance liquid chromatography. By this method, as little as 10 pmol of galactose can be detected. Using rat brain homogenates as an enzyme sample, the several parameters were reexamined to define the optimal conditions for the assay. This assay method was also applied to human cultured skin fibroblast homogenates, and it was found that this method can be used for the diagnosis of GM1-gangliosidosis, instead of the usual method using the radioisotope-labeled natural substrate.

Animals↗

Reconstitution of the lipid-depleted pyruvate oxidase system of Escherichia coli: the palmitic acid effect.

Previous work has shown that the coupling of the soluble Escherichia coli pyruvate oxidase to a lipid-depleted membrane terminal electron transport system requires the addition of ubiquinone and a neutral lipid fraction (C. Cunningham and L. P. Hager (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 7139-7146). The active factor present in the neutral lipid fraction has now been isolated and characterized. NMR, uv, and mass spectroscopic analysis identifies palmitic acid as the active component. A comparison of palmitic acid with other fatty acids of varying chain lengths indicates that most fatty acids having chain lengths in the range C12 to C20 have comparable activity to palmitic acid. Exceptions are stearic and arachidic acid which have greatly reduced activity. Fatty acids of C6 to C10 chain length showed about one third the activity of palmitic acid. Fatty acids having chain lengths of 2 to 5 carbon atoms are essentially inactive. The carboxyl function of the fatty acid is required for activity. Derivatives of fatty acids in which the carboxyl group had been modified to an alcohol, aldehyde, or methyl ester function show greatly diminished activity. Both the cis and trans forms of unsaturated long-chain fatty acids are active. The stimulation of the electron transfer reaction by fatty acids occurs at the ubiquinone level of the electron transport chain. Ubiquinone-30 is rapidly reduced by pyruvate oxidase only in the presence of palmitic acid.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Periosteal ossifying fibroma of the palate.

An unusual case of the ossifying fibroma of a 54-year-old woman is reported. Clinically the lesion appeared as an exophytic mass on the hard palate and apparently originated outside of bone. Histologically the resected tumor is well encapsulated and made up of a richly cellular fibroblastic stroma containing foci of mature bone with a predominantly lamellar structure. While the possibility exists that the lesion is reactive, it appears to be a true neoplastic growth and a purely soft tissue process arising from the periosteum of the palate. Thus, we proposed the term periosteal ossifying fibroma for this distinct lesion in order to distinguish it from the common peripheral ossifying fibroma.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

Homology of L-gulonolactone oxidase of species belonging to Mammalia, Aves, and Amphibia.

Immunological cross-reactivity of L-gulonolactone oxidase of different species (rat, chicken, and bullfrog) was tested by the Ouchterlony technique. Antiserum directed against the enzyme from chicken kidney reacted with rat liver enzyme as well as with bullfrog kidney enzyme. This finding suggests that there is, at least partly, sequence homology among the enzyme from species belonging to the three classes, Mammalian, Aves, and Amphibia.

Animals↗

L-gulonolactone oxidase activity and vitamin C status in riboflavin-deficient rats.

The effect of riboflavin deficiency on the activity of L-gulonolactone oxidase [L-gulono-gamma-lactone: oxygen 2-oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.3.8] and on vitamin C status was studied. A marked decrease in the specific activity of L-gulonolactone oxidase was observed in the liver microsomes isolated from riboflavin-deficient rats: the specific activity was approx. one-third of that in the microsomes isolated from control rats. The L-ascorbic acid content in the liver of the riboflavin-deficient rats was approx. one-half of that in the liver of the control rats. It seems that the rate of production of L-ascorbic acid in the riboflavin-deficient rats is limited by the decreased level of L-gulonolactone oxidase activity. Immunotitration using rabbit antiserum directed to L-gulonolactone oxidase revealed that a substantial amount of an inactive form of this enzyme is present in the liver microsomes of the riboflavin-deficient rats. L-Gulonolactone oxidase activity in the microsomes of these rats increased by approx. 35% upon addition of FAD, but it was slightly decreased by the addition of FMN or riboflavin. These results indicate that the liver microsomes of the riboflavin-deficient rats contain a protein which exhibits L-gulonolactone oxidase activity upon addition of Fad.

Animals↗