Biomedical subjects

K Kubo

Publications and source records attributed to K Kubo.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Changes in susceptibility of tissues to lipid peroxidation after ingestion of various levels of docosahexaenoic acid and vitamin E.

To examine the effects of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the potential changes in endogenous lipid peroxidation in the liver and kidney, diets containing a fixed amount of vitamin E (VE; RRR-alpha-tocopherol equivalent; 134 mg/kg diet) and a graded amount of DHA at the levels of 0, 1.0, 3.4 and 8.7% of total dietary energy were fed to rats for 14 d (Expt 1). In Expt 2, diets containing a fixed amount of DHA (8.7% of total dietary energy) and a graded amount of VE at the levels of 54, 134 and 402 mg/kg were fed to rats for 15 d. In Expt 1 it was found that endogenous lipid peroxide contents of the liver and kidney, as measured by thiobarbituric acid value and chemiluminescence intensity, were higher, and their alpha-tocopherol contents lower than those of the controls, with a gradual increase and decrease in values respectively as the dietary DHA level increased (Expt 1). However, the contents of water-soluble antioxidants, i.e. ascorbic acid and non-protein-SH (glutathione), increased with increases in the dietary DHA level, while the Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9) activities did not change or tended to be lower. When the graded level of VE was given to rats in Expt 2, lipid peroxide contents in the liver and kidney did not change significantly in response to the increasing levels of dietary VE, although their alpha-tocopherol contents were higher than control values, increasing with increases in the dietary VE levels. The lipid peroxide scavengers other than alpha-tocopherol changed similarly to those in Expt 1. The results obtained in Expts 1 and 2 indicate that DHA enhances the susceptibility of the liver and kidney to lipid peroxidation concomitant with higher levels of DHA in these tissues, as shown by the fatty acid composition. In addition, VE is unable to protect membranes of the liver and kidney rich in DHA from lipid peroxidation, even after ingestion of the highest level of VE. However, the liver lipid peroxide content of the group given the highest level of DHA was not as high as expected, based on the peroxidizability index which was calculated from the fatty acid composition of the liver lipid.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1997

Urine viscosity after injections of iotrolan or iomeprol.

PURPOSE: Previous observations in rats caused us to speculate whether the injection of iotrolan, a nonionic dimeric contrast medium (CM), would increase urine viscosity enough to obstruct urine outflow in the collecting duct. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The urine viscosity in dogs was measured directly with a viscosimeter after injections of iotrolan or of iomeprol, a nonionic monomeric CM. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The injection of iotrolan increased urine viscosity considerably whereas iomeprol had little effect on this variable. The osmolality-dependent adverse reactions of CM have previously been emphasized but viscosity-dependent adverse reactions must also be considered when the CM is a polymer with a low osmolality.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Survival in long-term haemodialysis patients: results from the annual survey of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.

The prognosis for haemodialysis patients is reported to be more favourable in Japan than in Europe or North America. Consequently, evaluation of the death predictors for haemodialysis patients in Japan is of considerable interest outside Japan. The Patient Registration Committee of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy annually surveys the individual patient case mix, laboratory data and important events occurring in the previous years. Thus, using case mix data and laboratory data (including Kt/V and protein catabolic rate) from the 1993 questionnaire survey and the individual patients' life/death statistics from the 1994 questionnaire survey, a logistic regression analysis was conducted on 53867 patients. The analysis indicated that important death risk predictors were: (i) advanced age, (ii) occurrence of diabetes mellitus, (iii) male sex, (iv) Kt/V lower than 1.8, (v) haemodialysis time less than 5 h, (vi) protein catabolic rate less than 0.9 g/kg/day, and (vii) percentage body weight decrease less than 4% and more than 8% during the first haemodialysis session of the week.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Current status of renal replacement therapy in Japan: results of the annual survey of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.

Beginning in 1966, the Patient Registration Committee of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy has conducted a survey once a year on renal replacement therapy in Japan. As of 1983, the survey covered the life/death of patients in the survey years, as well as the case mix of individual patients. In 1990 several laboratory variables were added to the survey items. The present report summarizes the data from the 1993 and 1994 surveys. The Committee mailed out questionnaire forms at the end of the survey year to the heads of all dialysis facilities. Survey forms were returned from 99.6% of the dialysis facilities in the 1993 survey, and from 99.8% of the facilities in the 1994 survey. Some 143709 patients were treated by renal replacement therapy in 1994 (7509 were treated by CAPD, and 131016 by extracorporeal haemopurification). The gross mortality rate was 9.5% in the same year. The mean values of the laboratory variables among 88693 patients undergoing thrice weekly haemodialysis were as follows in 1993: Kt/V, 1.31 +/- 0.30; protein catabolic rate, 1.04 +/- 0.30 g/kg/day; haemodialysis time, 4.12 +/- 0.50 h. In 1994, the variables were: predialysis serum creatinine concentration, 11.54 +/- 2.85 mg/dl; predialysis serum albumin concentration, 3.91 +/- 0.55 g/dl; predialysis haematocrit, 28.69 +/- 4.36%.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Transcriptional activation of H+/K+-ATPase genes by gastric GATA binding proteins.

H+/K+-ATPase (composed of alpha and beta subunits) and histamine H2 receptor are specifically expressed in gastric parietal cells. The GATA binding proteins (GATA-GT1 and GATA-GT2, also called GATA-6 and GATA-4, respectively) originally found in the gastric mucosa recognized a sequence motif [gastric motif, (G/C)PuPu(G/C)NGAT(A/T)PuPy] in the upstream regions of the ATPase genes [Tamura, S., Wang, X.-H., Maeda, M., and Futai, M. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 10876-10880]. These proteins activated the transcription of the reporter gene ligated downstream of the control region of the rat ATPase alpha or beta subunit gene but had no effect on the same reporter ligated downstream of the H2 receptor gene. Deletion analyses suggested that the upstream 249 (alpha gene) and 323 (beta gene) base pair sequences from the first letter of the initiation codon are sufficient for activation by the GATA proteins. Interestingly, two and three gastric motifs are located near the TATA-boxes of the alpha and beta genes, respectively. Mutagenesis studies demonstrated that the two motifs proximal to the TATA-box sequences of the ATPase alpha and beta subunit genes were essential for the activation. These results suggest that both the alpha and beta subunit genes are regulated similarly by the GATA binding proteins. The expression system established in this study is a useful system for analyzing the roles of GATA proteins in transcriptional regulation of the H+/K+-ATPase gene.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Factors affecting the radiologic appearance of peripheral bronchogenic carcinomas.

The use of high-resolution computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have allowed the detailed description of morphologic findings associated with lung cancer. In particular, the desmoplastic response of lung tissue to tumor growth has not been adequately described. This article reviews roentgenologic and pathologic correlations of primary lung carcinomas. An irregular or indistinct tumor margin may be caused by tumor infiltration, an irregular desmoplastic response to the tumor growth, or irregular contraction in the central portion of the tumor. Solid tumor growth, on the other hand, may be associated with a well-defined tumor margin, with or without displacement of adjacent anatomical structures.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1997

Studies of bronchial asthma induced by chironomid midges (Diptera) around a hypereutrophic lake in Japan.

There have been few reports on hypersensitivity to chironomid midges in bronchial asthmatic patients around the area of hypereutrophic natural lakes, which have been notorious as an environmental hazard due to the massive occurrence of adult chironomids during several periods of the year. Our study investigated IgE antibodies to chironomid midges in bronchial asthmatic patients around the Lake Suwa area in comparison with those of the Matsumoto area (control area). A total of 123 adult patients with bronchial asthma were investigated by measurement of IgE antibodies with extracts of three chironomid midges (Chironomus yoshimatsui, C. plumosus, and Tokunagayusurika akamusi), mite, and silkworm. In addition, in the allergy testing, 12 common inhalant antigens were used. Of 123 adult patients with bronchial asthma, 65 (52.8%) produced positive allergy tests. Thirty-three (50.8%) were positive to mite, 28 (43.1%) to silkworm, 11 (16.9%) to C. yoshimatsui, eight (12.3%) to C. plumosus, and three (4.6%) to T. akamusi. We compared our results with the previous reports. The number of positive tests to silkworm in the Lake Suwa area was higher than in other areas. However, C. plumosus and T. akamusi showed a lower number of positive reactions. We considered the lower positive number of C. plumosus and T. akamusi tests in the Lake Suwa area to be related to the advanced age of patients in this area. The chironomids are an important cause of asthma, together with mite and silkworm, in the Lake Suwa area, but affect old asthmatic patients less than asthmatic children.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMed1997

Comparison of stride characteristics in a cantering horse on a flat and inclined treadmill.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was any difference in the stride characteristics between cantering on a flat or inclined treadmill. Five 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses were cantered on a treadmill at 3 different velocities and at 3 different slopes. The sequence of speeds at each slope was chosen at random and 16 mm cinefilms at 300 frames/s were taken from a lateral view at a distance of 15 m from the treadmill to record the linear and temporal data. On the slope, stride length, stride duration, stance duration and swing duration did not change. However, midstep length increased significantly and the airborne step length decreased significantly as slope increased from a 3% slope to a 8% slope at 12 m/s. The airborne duration increased significantly from a 0% slope to a 3% slope, and inversely decreased significantly from a 3% slope to a 8% slope. The advanced placement (AP) between trailing hindlimb and leading hindlimb (APTH-LH) and between trailing forelimb and leading forelimb (APTF-LF) and the overlap between LH and TF (LH-TF) tended to decrease and the AP between LH and TF (APLH-TF) and the overlap between TH and LH (TH-LH) inversely tended to increase as the slope increased, though these tendencies were not significant. These findings indicated that in slope locomotion, the stride length might be maintained by sacrificing the length of the airborne period as the workload became more intense.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Administration of aminoglycosides to hemodialysis patients immediately before dialysis: a new dosing modality.

We describe a new modality for administering aminoglycosides to hemodialysis (HD) patients, namely, a modification of the once-daily regimen which consists of administering the aminoglycosides over 60 min by drip infusion just before each HD session, with a preplanned peak concentration being reached at the beginning of the session and then with a rapidly decreasing concentration being achieved by the start of HD. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), i.e., the accumulation of the drug in the body, is thus minimized by this modality. Arbekacin (ABK) was given at a dose of 2 mg/kg of body weight to 10 HD patients infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for 2 weeks (six sessions in total), resulting in the complete disappearance of MRSA in 5 patients. A high rate of elimination of ABK was attained for each patient while the patient was on HD (range, 0.20 to 0.42 h-1; mean 0.28 +/- 0.08 h-1) by using high-performance dialyzers provided with membranes made of either polymethylmethacrylate, cellulose triacetate (CTA), or ethylene vinyl alcohol. The best results were obtained with the CTA membrane, as revealed by the overall mass transfer coefficient (Ko). The AUC in the simulation model for the variation in the serum ABK concentration in this modality was calculated to be 40% of that of the conventional post-HD dosing modality, suggesting that a much higher dose could be administered to HD patients who receive HD thrice weekly (4 h per session), giving, e.g., 4 mg/kg initially and before the HD sessions, when there is an interval of 68 h from HD session to HD session, and giving 2 mg/kg before the other sessions.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Lack of association of Borna disease virus and human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 infections with psychiatric disorders among Japanese patients.

Borna disease virus (BDV) infection has been suspected to be a possible etiological factor in human psychiatric disorders and recently in chronic fatigue syndrome. Evidence of the correlation of BDV infection with these disorders remained unclear. Kagoshima is known to be one of the major areas in which human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is endemic; this is the first isolated human retrovirus that causes adult T-cell leukemia with neurological symptoms. The present study aimed to clarify whether BDV and HTLV-1 infections are associated with psychiatric disorders among Japanese patients. Subjects were 346 patients with psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, 179; mood disorder, 123; and others, 44) and 70 healthy controls. Anti-BDV antibodies from plasma samples were screened by the indirect immunofluorescence (IF) method using BDV-infected MDCK cells. Results revealed that only three samples were found to be weakly positive for BDV in the IF assay and seronegative by Western blot (immunoblot) assay. Furthermore, BDV-p24 related RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 106 of 346 psychiatric patients and 12 or 70 healthy controls by p24-reverse transcription PCR was examined. Two mood disorder patients were positive for BDV-p24 RNA but seronegative. To detect anti-HTLV-1 antibodies the plasma samples were screened by the particle agglutination method and no significant difference in seropositivity for anti-HTLV-1 antibody was found between the patients and healthy controls. These results also suggested that there is a lack of association between BDV and HTLV-1 infections with psychiatric disorders among Japanese patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Characterization of endonuclease III (nth) and endonuclease VIII (nei) mutants of Escherichia coli K-12.

The nth and nei genes of Escherichia coli affect the production of endonuclease III and endonuclease VIII, respectively, glycosylases/apurinic lyases that attack DNA damaged by oxidizing agents. Here, we provide evidence that oxidative lethal lesions are repaired by both endonuclease III and endonuclease VIII and that spontaneous mutagenic lesions are repaired mainly by endonuclease III.

Cloning, Molecular↗

PubMed1997

Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and after treatment with interferon alpha.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) were more likely to be seropositive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) than normal controls, and that patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) sometimes developed pulmonary fibrosis. The possibility that HCV infection and/or treatment with IFN-alpha are involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis or alveolitis was investigated. METHODS: A prospective non-randomised study was performed in 13 healthy controls and in patients with chronic hepatitis C before (n = 13) and after (n = 10) treatment with IFN-alpha. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cell counts, ratios and T cell subsets, and the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1 beta, tumour necrosis factor(TNF)-alpha, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were measured. RESULTS: Lymphocyte counts in the BAL fluid were significantly increased in both groups of patients (median (range) values: before treatment, 36.8 (1.5-226.0); after treatment, 16.2 (4.5-97.6)) compared with the normal controls (3.3 (0.5-32.3)). In the pretreatment group the activated T cell (HLA-Dr positive) count was also increased (51 (40-74)) compared with that in the normal controls (27 (4-52)), but after treatment it was decreased (40 (0-76)) compared with the pretreatment count. Administration of IFN-alpha did not affect these parameters. IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, and HGF were not detected. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that HCV infection is associated with increased counts of lymphocytes and neutrophils in BAL fluid and that treatment with IFN-alpha appears to alter lymphocyte surface markers.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Type II pneumocytes release chemoattractant activity for monocytes constitutively.

In the present investigation, we determined whether A549 cells, a type II pneumocyte cell line, might release mediators that are responsible for monocyte chemoattractant activity (MCA) constitutively. To test this hypothesis, A549 cell supernatant fluids were harvested and evaluated for monocyte chemotaxis. A549 cell supernatant fluids showed MCA in a time-dependent manner (P < 0.001). Checkerboard analysis of 24- and 72-h supernatant fluids showed that the activity was chemokinetic rather than chemotactic. Partial characterization of 24- and 72-h supernatant fluids revealed that the mediator was composed of lipid-soluble activity that was blocked by lipoxygenase inhibitors and trypsin-sensitive activity blocked by cycloheximide. Molecular sieve column chromatography identified four molecular weight peaks. Two of four peaks were blocked by anti-monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and anti-transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) polyclonal antibodies. MCP-1 and TGF-beta were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor antagonist attenuated the lowest-molecular-weight peak chemotactic response, and the concentration of LTB4 was high enough for chemotactic activity. These findings suggest that type II pneumocytes may modulate the recruitment of monocytes into the alveolar space by releasing MCP-1, TGF-beta, and LTB4 constitutively.

Antibodies↗

PubMed1997

The relations between expiratory chest CT using helical CT and pulmonary function tests in emphysema.

Chest computed tomography (CT) and pulmonary function tests are usually used for the evaluation of emphysema. We performed the present study to evaluate more accurately the relationship between the degree of morphological change and the functional abnormality in emphysema. We used a helical CT apparatus to obtain the CT images both at full inspiration and full expiration. We classed the degree of emphysema into 5 grades (0-4) by visual observation on CT image obtained at the two levels, upper and lower fields, on each side. We assigned each of these grades a visual score. We also calculated the average ratio of CT numbers of each of the lung fields at full expiration to that at full inspiration for each level. We designated this the E/I ratio. We then examined the relationship between the findings acquired by each of these two methods and pulmonary function test results. The visual score showed correlations with FEV1(% predicted) (-0.592, p < 0.0001), RV/TLC(%)(0.425, p < 0.025), and DL(CO)/VA(% predicted)(-0.538, p < 0.0001). The E/I ratio showed correlations with FEV1(% predicted) (-0.620, p < 0.0001), RV/TLC(%)(0.661, p < 0.0001), and DL(CO)/VA(% predicted) (-0.299, p < 0.05). Compared with the E/I ratio, the visual score showed much higher correlation with DL(CO)/VA(% predicted), but the E/I ratio showed stronger correlation with RV/TLC(%) than did the visual score. The visual score may reflect the degree of emphysema, whereas the E/I ratio reflects the air trapping. These findings suggest that the helical CT is useful in the evaluation of emphysematous changes and that the E/I ratio reflects the air trapping.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Anti-hyperliposis effect of maitake fruit body (Grifola frondosa). I.

Experimental rat models (5-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats) with hyperlipemia were prepared by feeding high-cholesterol feed containing sodium cholate and casein as a protein source. Dried maitake (Grifola frondosa) powder was mixed with the basic high-cholesterol feed and the serum lipids were periodically measured. Values of cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid in serum of rats in the maitake-feed group were suppressed by 0.3-0.8 times those in animals fed the basic feed, the latter values being close to those in rats given normal feed. The value of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol in serum which is generally reduced by the ingestion of high-cholesterol feed remained the level it was at the beginning of the experiment. Weights of extirpated liver and epididymal fat-pads were significantly less (0.6-0.7 times) than those in the basic feed group, indicating that maitake inhibits lipid accumulation in the body. Liver lipids were also measured and the values were found to be decreased by maitake administration as true of serum lipid, suggesting maitake has an anti-liver lipid activity. Measurement of the amount of total cholesterol and bile acid in feces showed, the ratio of cholesterol-excretion had increased 1.8 times and bile acid-excretion 3 fold by maitake treatment. From these results, it is believed that maitake helps to improve the lipid metabolism as it inhibits both liver lipid and serum lipid which are increased by the ingestion of high-fat feed.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Mutational specificity of the ferrous ion in a supF gene of endonuclease III/VIII deficient Escherichia coli.

When 125 microM Fe2+/EDTA treated plasmid pUB3 was used to transfect an Escherichia coli NKJ2004 (nth nei) host, which is totally defective in glycosylases for thymine glycol and 5-hydroxycytosine, a 3.7 fold increase in mutation frequency was observed. Among 46 supF mutants sequenced, 28 had base substitutions, with G:C-->C:G transversion predominant (14 cases), followed by G:C-->T:A transversion (6 cases) and G:C-->A:T transition (6 cases). The results are consistent with our previous Fe2+ mutagenesis results where, in the wild type host, 78% were base substitutions, with G:C-->C:G transversion (59%) predominant, followed by G:C-->T:A transversion (28%) and G:C-->A:T transition (11%). Treatment of pUB3 DNA with Fe2+/EDTA did not yield formation of Endonuclease III sensitive sites. The possibility of 5-hydroxycytosine as the causative lesion for Fe2+ induced G:C-->C:G transversion is discussed.

DNA Repair↗

PubMed1997

Intrinsic atrioventricular conductive function in horses with a second degree atrioventricular block.

The atrioventricular (AV) conductive functions were investigated before and after the pharmacological autonomic nervous blockade (PAB) through the electrophysiological study on six horses (AV block group) in which the dropped beats occurred more frequently (over 200 beats/24 hr) and on five horses (control group) in which the dropped beats occurred sporadically (under 200 beats/24 hr) or in which the arrhythmias were not recognized at all on the long-term electrocardiogram. As a result, AV conductivity, conduction time and refractoriness in the AV block group were lower, longer and higher, respectively, than those in the control group even after PAB. These results indicate the intrinsic AV conductive functions in the AV block group were withdrawing than in the control group.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Partial cloning of prohibitin cDNA from canine, feline, bovine, equine, and rabbit liver mRNA by RT-PCR.

Prohibitin is the protein which has an inhibitory function in cell growth, and its gene is suggested to be one of putative tumor suppressor genes. In this report, we described a partial cloning of prohibitin cDNAs from canine, feline, bovine, equine, and rabbit liver mRNAs by RT-PCR, and their homology analysis. The sequences of these RT-PCR products were compared with each other as well as those reported for human and rat. The homology in this region of prohibitin cDNA was approximately 90%, and the amino acid sequence of each RT-PCR product shared more than 95% identity. Therefore, it is concluded that all the RT-PCR products are a part of prohibitin cDNA of each animal.

Amino Acid Sequence↗