Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Kurata.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
125I-labelled gastrin with high immunological activity and high specific radioactivity of 22.2 approximately 25.9 GBq (600 approximately mCi)/mg (0.5 iodine atom/1 gastrin molecule) was prepared by chloramine-T method using the amount of 100 molar ratio of chloramine-T to gastrin. As results of gastrin radioimmunoassay with polyethylene glycol (PEG) method, intra- and interassay coefficient of variation (C.V.) were 3.6 approximately 7.6% and 5.7 approximately 10.4%, respectively. The average recoveries of 2 levels of gastrin added to serum samples were 104 +/- 11.9% and 105 +/- 9.7%. The correlation coefficient of gastrin values obtained with dextrancoated charcoal (DCC) method and present method was r = 0.973. Antibody used in this study have a characteristic to strongly recognize the tyrosin residue at 12 position and the methionyl residue at 15 position on gastrin (1-17).
A solid phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) in which plasma renin activity (PRA) can be measured in a single test tube throughout enzymatic reaction and determination of angiotensin-I (A-I) generated was developed. Two hundred micro 1 of plasma samples was incubated with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and ethylenediamine tetraaceticacid (EDTA) at pH 6.0 or 7.4 at 37 degrees C for 1 hr, then the generated A-I was determined by solid phase RIA under 3 hr of incubation time at room temperature. An antibody absorbed onto polystyrene beads was used for B/F separation of RIA. The combination of PMSF and EDTA gave significant inhibition of angiotensinase and converting enzyme. Pepstatin A, proteolytic enzyme inhibitor, was found to be effective to block the renin activity during the incubation for RIA at room temperature. Recoveries of A-I added at two levels of 1.0 4.0 ng/ml to plasma sample incubated at 37 degrees C for 1 hr were 102 +/- 28.6% and 105 +/- 15.2%, respectively. Intra-assay precision (CV) ranged from 2.5 to 10.3% and inter-assay from 7.0 to 13.7% with four pooled sera. PRA obtained under enzymatic reaction of pH 6.0 showed approximately twice as much as that of pH 7.4. The assay correlated closely with the other established solid phase radioimmunoassay kit (r = 0.996). Normal values of PRA were 1.03 +/0 0.78 ng/mg/hr (n = 66) at supine position and 1.33 +/- 1.15 ng/ml/hr at upright position. The method for the measurement of PRA, described in this paper, can be clinically used as one of convenient methods froms its simplicity and reproducibility.
Recordings were made from the supplementary motor areas in both cortical hemispheres of a monkey trained to press a foot pedal. As a result of appropriate limb fixation, the movement was performed with activity predominantly in distal muscles of the right hindlimb. Forty-three percent of contralateral neurons showed movement-related activity. In contrast, only 9% of ipsilateral neurons were active and magnitudes of their activity were smaller.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
On the basis of recent neurophysiological findings on the mammalian visual cortex, a self-organizing neural network model is proposed for the understanding of the development of complex cells. The model is composed of two kinds of connections from LGN cells to a complex cell. One is direct excitatory connections and the other is indirect inhibitory connections via simple cells. Inhibitory synapses between simple cells and complex cells are assumed to be modifiable. The model was simulated on a computer to confirm its behavior.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A neural network model is proposed for the understanding of the receptive field properties of the complex cell. The model is based on recent neurophysiological findings on the visual cortical network. The model is proved to be functionally identical with Hubel's and Wiesel's hierarchy model though the two models are structurally quite different.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A simplified direct radioimmunoassay for urinary acid labile aldosterone was developed. One ml of urine was hydrolysed with 2 ml of 0.2N HCL at 30 degrees C for 16hrs. One tenth ml of hydrolysed urine diluted 10 times with charcoal treated aldosterone-free calf serum was used for the radioimmunoassay. The radioimmunoasssay was done with a specific antibody, 125I-aldosterone, as the labeled antigen and polyethylene glycol for bound-free separation. There were excellent correlations between the present methods and other methods, i.e., i) a method using dichloromethane extraction before the assay as well as pre-extraction before hydrolysis and ii) a commercial kit using 3H-aldosterone. The intra-assay coefficient of variation was 5.8%, and the inter-assay coefficient of variation was 9.5%. The normal value of urinary aldosterone was excretion was 3.7 plus or minus 2.5 micrograms/day by the present method, and values of patients with primary aldosteronism were between 24 to 43 micrograms/day.
In phenobarbital measurement by GLC with the flash-methylation technique, using trimethylanilinium hydroxide as a methylating reagent, a small amount of water decomposed phenobarbital and interfered with the quantitative analysis. Thus, both the sample and the methylating reagent must be sufficiently dehydrated to attain quantitative analyses. The hydrolysis decomposition product of phenobarbital was N-methyl-2-phenylbutyramide, as shown by its mass spectrum. The sum of methylated phenobarbital and N-methyl-2-phenylbutyramide (if observed in the spectrum) can be used for an accurate phenobarbital assay in the present flash-methylation technique.
Monkeys were trained to perform two different motor acts, one involving muscle activity in distal forelimb muscles and the other in proximal forelimb and shoulder girdle muscles. After confirming spatial and temporal dissociation of muscle activity in the two motor acts, single unit activity in the supplementary motor area (SMA) was recorded. SMA neurons related with the distal and proximal forelimb movements were found to be arranged rostrocaudally with a considerable overlap. In the overlapping region, neurons related with the distal movement were located more deeply.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.