Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

K Kohda

Publications and source records attributed to K Kohda.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Exaggerated prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in infertile women with the luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome.

Ten cases of luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) syndrome out of 250 women with unexplained infertility were detected on ultrasonography, giving a frequency of 4%. Hormonal analysis revealed lower serum progesterone levels at mid-luteal phase in LUF cases, suggesting a link between LUF syndrome and inadequate luteal phase. Prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone was exaggerated in LUF cases as compared with ovulatory cases. Aberrant prolactin release may be a contributory factor in the pathophysiology of the LUF syndrome.

Anovulation

Dealkylation rates of O6-alkyldeoxyguanosine, O4-alkylthymidine and related compounds in an alkyl-transfer system.

Bacterial O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) removes alkyl group from O6-alkylguanine and O4-alkylthymine residues in DNA, both of which are considered to be DNA damages most related to the induction of cancer and/or mutation. The repair process involves alkyl-transfer of an O-alkyl group to the active site of the enzyme, where an SH-group of cysteine residue plays the role of alkyl acceptor. In order to elucidate the chemical characteristics of substrates for this enzyme, dealkylation rates of O6-alkyldeoxyguanosine, O4-alkylthymidine and related compounds were measured using an alkyl-transfer system. Thiophenol-triethylamine system was employed as an alkyl acceptor and twenty-one O-alkyl compounds were tested. Dealkylation proceeded with pseudo first order kinetics. The half-life of O6-methyldeoxyguanosine (MedG) was 122 h and no remarkable dependence on N-9 substituents (H, CH3 and deoxyribose) was observed. A compound lacking 2-NH2 group underwent demethylation about three times faster than O6-methylguanines did, while, a compound lacking imidazole moiety underwent demethylation about 2.5 times more slowly. The half-life of O4-methylthymidine (MedT) was 38 h and no remarkable dependence on N-1 (H, CH3 and deoxyribose) and C-5 (H and CH3) substituents was observed. Deethylation proceeded much more slowly than demethylation. Substitution of selenophenol for thiophenol resulted in a 4.5 times faster MedG demethylation rate. Demethylation rates were moderately correlated with values for NMR chemical shift of CH3 group, an indicator of electron density, although the correlation curves of a series of MedG and MedT derivatives were quite different. This result suggests that some different rate-determining factors other than electron density are playing a role. These findings may be of help in resolving the details of the mechanisms of enzymic repair by bacterial and mammalian AGT.

Alkylation

Diagnostic value of measurement of serum type I procollagen carboxy terminal peptides in patients with scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach.

We have evaluated the radioimmunoassay for type I procollagen carboxy terminal peptide (type I C-peptide), which is liberated from type I procollagen during its conversion to collagen, in the serodiagnosis of scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach. The mean (SD) serum concentration of type I C-peptide in 39 normal subjects was 41.7 (19.7) ng/ml. The mean serum values and the positive ratio of type I C-peptide in 11 patients with stages II and III scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach were 91.2 (41.9) ng/ml and 54.5%, respectively. In 10 patients with other types of gastric carcinoma, the mean type I C-peptide values were not significantly different from the normal value. Serum type I C-peptide values reflected the clinical course of scirrhous gastric carcinoma in five patients who underwent either operation or chemotherapy. The measurement of serum type I C-peptide concentrations could provide a useful way of diagnosing and monitoring scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach.

Adenocarcinoma, Scirrhous

Some cytotoxicological aspects of ethyl and fluoroethyl alkanesulfonates in Escherichia coli: role of fluorine substitution.

Several fluoroethyl derivatives of alkanesulfonates and N-nitrosourea were tested for cytotoxicity and mutagenicity in E. coli K12 AB1157. Cytotoxicity was potentiated by fluorine substitution in the alkyl moiety of the ethylating agents. Mutagenicity was strongly suppressed by fluorine substitution in the alkanesulfonates, but not in the N-nitrosourea. The capacity to induce the SOS repair network was suppressed, as was mutagenicity, in alkanesulfonates, but not in N-nitrosourea. The potentiating effect of fluorine on the cytotoxicity of alkanesulfonates seems to be due to an as yet unknown killing mechanism. An appreciable suppressive effect on the mutagenicity and the SOS induction is worth notice for the biological role of fluorine substitution in alkylating agents.

Alkylating Agents

Detection of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in deoxyribonucleic acid by the 32P-postlabeling method.

Using synthesized 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine 3'-monophosphate as a marker, the 32P-postlabeling method was adapted with minimum modifications for the analysis of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) content in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). This method allows the analysis of one 8-OH-dG per 10(4) DNA nucleotides with only 10 pmoles of nucleotides required. The amounts of 8-OH-dG in DNA detected by the postlabeling method correlated well with the electrochemical detection method but were consistently lower.

8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine

Formation of O6,7-dimethylguanine residues in calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid treated with carcinogenic N-methyl-N-nitrosourea in vitro.

Treatment of calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in vitro with a methylating carcinogen, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), in phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) resulted in formation of O6,7-dimethylguanine residues in DNA besides the well-known methylated DNA adducts, 7-methylguanine, O6-methylguanine and 3-methyladenine. The product ratio (%) of O6,7-dimethylguanine versus 7-methylguanine was 0.32 after one MNU treatment. The significance of formation of O6,7-dimethylguanine residues in DNA is discussed briefly in relation to the carcinogenicity of MNU.

Animals

Lignified materials as a potential medicinal resource. IV. Dehydrogenation polymers of some phenylpropenoids and their capacity to stimulate polymorphonuclear cell iodination.

Based on our recent finding regarding diverse biological activities of natural lignified materials, synthetic dehydrogenation homo- and copolymers were prepared using 3 p-hydroxylated cinnamic acids and coniferyl alcohol in order to explore the role of lignin skeleton in the activities displayed by natural lignins. The synthetic polymers stimulated polymorphonuclear cell iodination as potently as the natural lignified materials.

Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy

Induction of covalent DNA modifications and micronucleated erythrocytes by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide in adult and fetal mice.

Pregnancy and development are known to modify carcinogenesis. Little is known about the mechanism for the modulation. These studies investigated the relative sensitivity of nonpregnant, pregnant, and fetal mice to the induction of covalent DNA modifications and micronucleated erythrocytes by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO). Our results revealed that 4-NQO was bound to guanine nucleotides of DNA in all maternal and fetal organs tested. The adduct levels ranged from 2-60 base modifications per 10(9) DNA bases when 4-NQO was administered s.c. Overall, 4-NQO bound preferentially to DNA of the maternal tissues compared with that of the corresponding fetal tissues, with the exception of the liver. The adduct levels in maternal and fetal organs fell into 3 distinct levels. The greatest binding was in maternal lungs and pancreas (the target organs for carcinogenesis). The lowest binding levels were in maternal liver and all fetal organs studied. Gestation age at the time of 4-NQO treatment did not produce a significant effect on the amounts of adduct formation in the tissues examined, with the exception of placenta and bone marrow. Chronic treatment did not affect binding preference. At the cellular level, 4-NQO treatment induced twice the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes in the bone marrow of pregnant mice compared with the nonpregnant mice and fetal liver, on a mg/kg basis. However, the polychromatic erythrocytes of fetal liver were more sensitive than those of adult bone marrow to the induction of micronuclei, when adduct levels were taken into account. A positive correlation of organotropsim between 4-NQO-induced DNA adducts and carcinogenicity was observed for maternal tissues, but not for fetal tissues. Fetal tissues, overall, lack the enzymes to metabolically activate 4-NQO. Fetal cells elicit greater biological responses, compared with adult cells, at equal adduct levels. This study reveals that the effective doses in maternal and fetal tissues may differ and, therefore, will be a better basis for further understanding the molecular mechanism of transplacental carcinogenesis.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide

Singlet oxygen takes part in 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine formation in deoxyribonucleic acid treated with the horseradish peroxidase-H2O2 system.

Treatment of calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with the horseradish peroxidase-H2O2 system resulted in efficient formation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) residues. It was concluded that singlet oxygen was the reactive species involved, based on experiments using active oxygen scavengers and D2O. For 8-OH-dG formation, a higher-ordered polynucleotide structure seems to be required: double stranded DNA was a better substrate for the reactive species than single stranded DNA, and monomeric deoxyguanosine underwent C8-hydroxylation to a lesser extent.

8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine

Various antigenic reactivities in delayed hypersensitivity among crystalline proteins from Mycobacterium phlei.

Comparisons were made of the delayed-type skin reactivity of 6 crystalline proteins purified from the cell extract of Mycobacterium phlei in guinea pigs sensitized with whole cells of the heat-killed bacillus. These highly purified proteins elicited varying degrees of cutaneous reaction. The most active protein had almost the same reactivity as purified protein derivative prepared from the culture filtrate of Mycobacterium phlei. On the other hand, the weakest protein did not elicit a marked cutaneous reaction even after injection of 3,000 times the amount of protein of the most potent one. The other 4 proteins showed moderate reactivities. The difference in antigenic potency between proteins is probably due not to the amounts of the proteins contained in the cells used for sensitization, but to their structure.

Animals