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Biomedical subjects

K Mori

Publications and source records attributed to K Mori.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Synthesis of methyl (5Z,9Z,17R)-17-methylnonadeca-5,9-dienoate, the (R)-enantiomer of the structure proposed for a metabolite of the Philippine sponge Plakinastrella sp.

The (R)-enantiomer (1) of methyl (5Z,9Z)-17-methylnonadeca-5,9-dienoate, the structure proposed for a metabolite of the Philippine sponge, Plakinastrella sp., was synthesized. The 1H- and 13C-NMR spectra of the synthetic material were different from those reported for the natural product. The proposed structure 1 is therefore incorrect.

Animals↗

Isolation and characterization of enterocin SE-K4 produced by thermophilic enterococci, Enterococcus faecalis K-4.

Enterococcus sp. K-4, with a bacteriocin-like activity against E. faecium, was isolated from grass silage in Thailand. Morphological, physiological, and phylogenetic studies clearly identified strain K-4 as a strain of E. faecalis. Strain K-4 produced a maximal amount of bacteriocin at 43-45 degrees C. We purified, for the first time, the bacteriocin produced at high temperature by E. faecalis to homogeneity, using adsorption on cells of the producer strain and reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The bacteriocin, designated enterocin SE-K4, is a peptide of about 5 kDa as measured by SDS-PAGE, and Mass spectrometry analysis found the molecular mass of 5356.2, which is in good agreement. The amino acid sequencing of the N-terminal end of enterocin SE-K4 showed apparent sequence similarity to class IIa bacteriocins. Enterocin SE-K4 was active against E. faecium, E. faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium beijerinckii, and Listeria monocytogenes. Enterocin SE-K4 is very heat stable.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Synthesis of gibbilimbols A-D, cytotoxic and antibacterial alkenylphenols isolated from Piper gibbilimbum.

Gibbilimbols A [(E)-4-(4-decenyl)phenol, 1], B [(E)-4-(3-decenyl)phenol, 2], C [(E)-4-(4-octenyl)phenol, 3] and D [(E)-4-(3-octenyl)phenol, 4] were synthesized by coupling the phenolic parts with the alkyne parts and then reducing the triple bond of the resulting alkynylphenols. These alkenylphenols (1-4) are the cytotoxic and antibacterial constituents of the leaves of a medicinal plant (Piper gibbilimbum) that is used as a traditional medicine in Papua New Guinea.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

Establishment and characterization of a new canine mast cell tumor cell line.

A new cell line (CoMS) was established from a 3-year-old male mongrel dog with mast cell tumor of the oral mucosa. CoMS cells grow in suspension with a doubling time of 27.0 +/- 0.7 hr. The cytoplasmic granules were formalin-sensitive, showed diverse appearances in their ultrastructural findings and contained heparin proteoglycan and neutral protease chymase. Calcium ionophore A23187, substance P and concanavalin A caused significant histamine release from CoMS cells, while compound 48/80 failed to release histamine. This cell line will make an available source for studies on canine mast cell tumors.

Animals↗

Acute phase response in naturally occurring coliform mastitis.

Changes in the activities of serum cytokines and in acute phase response were observed in dairy cows with naturally occurring coliform mastitis. Seven cows with severe mastitis showed systemic and mammary inflammatory response throughout the observation period, and 11 cows with mild mastitis recovered and were able to be milked within 3 days of onset of mastitis. Serum interleukin (IL)-I and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activities were higher in the severe group than in the mild group at the first appearance of symptoms. Elevated IL-1 activity was evident in the severe group throughout the observation period. Serum alpha-1-acidglycoprotein (alpha1AG) concentration began to rise with the beginning of mastitis in the severe group, and peaked at 9 days. Serum haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations peaked at 3 days, and decreased gradually after 3 days in the severe group. These results showed that there are dynamic changes in serum IL-1 activity and in serum alpha1AG and Hp concentrations in cows with severe coliform mastitis.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗

Neonatal nucleated red blood cell counts in twins.

We counted nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) per 100 white blood cells (WBC) in the umbilical cord blood from 98 twins born to 49 women with uncomplicated twin pregnancies at > or = 34 weeks of gestation to better characterize NRBC in twins. Twelve women with monochorionic (MC) placentas and 37 with dichorionic (DC) placentas gave birth at 36.7 +/- .9 and 36.5 +/- 2 weeks of gestation, respectively. All twins were born with an Apgar score of > or = 7 at 1 min. Log10 (NRBC/100 BC) in 98 twins exhibited a nearly normal distribution, and was significantly associated with gestational age for both MC (r = -0.457, p = 0.025) and DC twins (r = - 0.275, p = 0.018), and with birth weight for both MC (r = -0.682, p < 0.001) and DC twins (r = -0.336, p = 0.003). Log10 (NRBC/100 WBC) tended to be larger in smaller twins than in larger twins in the MC group, and significantly larger in smaller twins than in larger twins in the DC group (p < 0.05). Intertwin difference in Log10 (NRBC/100 WBC) was defined as the value of Log10 (NRBC/100 WBC) of the smaller twin minus Log10 (NRBC/100 WBC) of the larger twin, and became greater with increasing intertwin difference in birth weight (r = 0.411, p = 0.003). These findings suggest that neonatal NRBC reflected gestational age and birth weight in twins. This preliminary observation using a small number of twins suggests that the smaller twin may have experienced a relative lack of oxygen compared with the larger twin in utero.

Adult↗

Cellular distribution of napsin (kidney-derived aspartic protease-like protein, KAP) mRNA in the kidney, lung and lymphatic organs of adult and developing mice.

Kidney-derived aspartic protease-like protein (KAP), initially identified in the mouse kidney, is a novel aspartic protease exclusively expressed in the lung and spleen as well as the kidney. Its orthologues have been identified in the human and rat, and termed napsin. We performed in situ hybridization analysis to determine the cellular expression of napsin mRNA in the kidney, lung, and lymphatic organs of adult mice and to demonstrate, for the first time, its expression patterns in ontogeny. In the adult mouse kidney, extremely intense signals for napsin mRNA were observed in the proximal straight and convoluted tubules, in agreement with a previous study. The first signals for napsin mRNA during nephrogenesis occurred selectively in mesonephric tubules at embryonic day 13, and in metanephric tubules from embryonic day 14. In the lung, a distribution restricted to type II alveolar cells or their precursors was found from embryonic day 15, at the onset of type II cell differentiation, to the adult stage. In the spleen, the mRNA was expressed in lymph nodules of the white pulp and the marginal zone-namely, B-lymphocyte-rich regions from postnatal day 0 to adult. The lymph node and Peyer's patch displayed similar expression patterns, but T cell-dependent areas in these organs and the thymus lacked such signals. These findings suggest that mouse napsin possesses crucial functional roles not only in the kidney but also in the lung and lymphatic tissues, even during fetal stages.

Animals↗

Effects of hypothermia on blood flow and neural activity in rabbit spinal cord during postischemic reperfusion.

The effects of hypothermia on blood flow and neural activity were investigated in rabbit spinal cord during the acute phase of ischemia/reperfusion. Rabbits were exposed to ischemia for 10 or 40 min by occluding the abdominal aorta, using a balloon catheter. The body temperature was maintained either at 38 degrees C (normothermia) or 34 degrees C (hypothermia). Hyperperfusion was observed within 10 min after the cessation of ischemia in all rabbits exposed to ischemia. The magnitude of hyperperfusion in spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) was not significantly different between the 10 and 40 min ischemia rabbits, but the time for 50% recovery from the hyperperfusion was longer in the 40 min ischemia group (26.1 +/- 2.5 min) than in the 10 min group (15.1 +/- 2.1 min). The amplitude of evoked spinal cord potential decreased during ischemia and recovered to the baseline level during 8 h of reperfusion in the 10 min ischemia group. However, in the 40 min ischemia group, the amplitude was 40 +/- 8% of the baseline value after 8 h of reperfusion. Hypothermia prevented the delay of recovery from hyperperfusion and the reduction of evoked spinal cord potential. These results suggest that hypothermia plays a beneficial role in protecting tissue injury in the acute phase of ischemia/reperfusion in the spinal cord by shortening the time for recovery from postischemic hyperperfusion.

Animals↗

Successful treatment of a ruptured enlarged infundibular widening of the posterior communicating artery--case report.

A 67-year-old female with a history of hypertension and cerebral infarction presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) (Hunt and Kosnik grade 4). Brain computed tomography (CT) revealed a clot dominantly on the right (Fisher's classification Group 4). Cerebral angiography showed funnel-shaped widenings at the origins of the bilateral posterior communicating arteries. The maximum diameter of the widening was greater than 3 mm, so this widening was called an enlarged infundibular widening. Angiography showed a small bulge protruding posterolaterally from the wall of the right enlarged infundibular widening, and the right posterior communicating artery arose from the apex of the enlarged infundibular widening. Based on the findings of the brain CT and cerebral angiography, the diagnosis was SAH due to rupture of the right enlarged infundibular widening. Approximately 12 hours after the onset, the clot was evacuated through the right pterional approach. Bleeding from the small bulge of the right enlarged infundibular widening occurred intraoperatively, so a right-angled ring clip was applied parallel to the right internal carotid artery to obliterate the rupture point. Postoperatively, she was discharged without neurological deficit, and follow-up CT showed no other new infarction. We recommend clipping rather than wrapping or coating for similar cases of ruptured enlarged infundibular widening.

Aged↗

Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome in a patient with hypertensive encephalopathy--case report.

A 58-year-old male presented with reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) manifesting as headache, papilledema, and renal hypertension. T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed hyperintensity lesions in the medulla, pons, bilateral thalami, and bilateral deep white matter of the parieto-occipital lobes. The pons was swollen. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging did not show increased intensity in these lesions. The lesions disappeared with improvement of clinical symptoms after treatment for hypertension. These findings suggested the lesions were vasogenic edema and the diagnosis was RPLS. T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted MR imaging are useful modalities to differentiate RPLS from other central nervous system abnormalities such as infarction, multiple sclerosis, and central pontine myelinolysis. The clinical and neuroradiological findings of RPLS can be reversed by timely initiation of treatment for the causative factor.

Brain↗

Surgical treatment of chronic subdural hematoma in 500 consecutive cases: clinical characteristics, surgical outcome, complications, and recurrence rate.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common clinical entities in daily neurosurgical practice. The diagnosis and treatment are well established, but recurrence, complications, and factors related to these problems, especially in the elderly, are not completely understood. This study evaluated the clinical features, radiological findings, and surgical results in a large series of the patients treated at the same institution. 500 consecutive patients (359 men and 141 women) with CSDH were treated by burr hole craniostomy with closed system drainage from January 1987 through February 1999. Causes, clinical and computed tomographic findings, surgical results, re-expansion of brain after surgery, and hematoma recurrence were statistically analyzed to elucidate the potential risks of CSDH. Most patients (89.4%) had good recovery, 8.4% showed no change, and 2.2% worsened. Six patients (1.2%) died, three due to disseminated intravascular coagulation. Recurrence of hematoma was recognized in 49 patients (9.8%), at 1 to 8 weeks (3.5 +/- 1.9 weeks) after the first operation. The brain re-expansion rate at one week after operation was 45.0 +/- 21.4% in patients with hematoma recurrence and significantly lower than 55.3 +/- 19.1% in patients without recurrence (p < 0.001). Old age, pre-existing cerebral infarction, and persistence of subdural air after surgery were significantly correlated with poor brain re-expansion (p < 0.001). Twenty-seven patients (5.4%) suffered postoperative complications, of which 13 cases were acute subdural hematoma caused by incomplete hemostasis of the scalp wound and four cases were tension pneumocephalus. Careful hemostasis and complete replacement of subdural hematoma by normal saline to prevent influx of air into the subdural space will further improve the surgical outcome for patients with CSDH.

Adolescent↗

Metastatic brainstem tumor manifesting as hearing disturbance--case report.

A 53-year-old male, who had undergone a left upper lung lobectomy for cancer 2 years previously, presented with metastatic brainstem tumor manifesting as hearing disturbance. At first an otorhinolaryngologist treated him for senile sensorineural hearing disturbance. However, he suffered gait ataxia and was referred to our department. On admission, neurological examination found mild cerebellar ataxia on the left and gait unsteadiness. Neurootological analysis revealed central-type sensorineural hearing disturbance on the left both in the pure tone audiogram and speech discrimination test. Neuroimaging studies revealed a ring-like enhanced mass centered in the ventral left middle cerebellar peduncle, partly extending to the inferior cerebellar peduncle. Peritumoral edema extending to the ipsilateral cochlear nucleus was recognized. He underwent surgery via a left lateral suboccipital transcondylar approach. The histological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma identical with the primary lung cancer. Intra-axial brainstem metastatic lesion can be a cause of hearing disturbance, so should be included in the differential diagnosis for a patient complaining of hearing disturbance, especially with a past history of cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Impact of insulin resistance and nephropathy on homocysteine in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impacts of insulin resistance and renal function on plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes with a wide range of nephropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Plasma tHcy levels were measured using the enzyme immunoassay method in 75 patients with type 2 diabetes and compared with those in 54 healthy control subjects. Insulin sensitivity indexes were assessed in patients with type 2 diabetes by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp using artificial pancreas. RESULTS: Plasma tHcy levels and their log-translormed values (log tHcy) were significantly higher in all patients with diabetes than in control subjects (tHcy, 12.0 +/- 0.7 [SE] vs. 8.7 +/- 0.3 micromol/l, P < 0.0001; log tHcy, 1.040 +/- 0.021 vs. 0.920 +/- 0.016 micromol/l, P < 0.0001). Plasma tHcy levels in patients with diabetes were significantly increased according to degree of nephropathy (P < 0.0001). On simple regression analyses, log tHcy correlated with insulin sensitivity indexes (r = -0.319, P = 0.005) as well as creatinine clearance (r = 0.634, P < 0.0001) in all patients with diabetes. Multiple regression analyses showed that insulin sensitivity indexes (beta = -0.245) as well as creatinine clearance were independent contributors to log tHcy in all patients with diabetes (R2 = 0.750, P < 0.0001). For the 59 patients with diabetes with creatinine clearance >60 ml/min, insulin sensitivity indexes were also shown to be a significant contributor to log tHcy (beta = -0.438, R2 = 0.561, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Insulin resistance and renal function are independent determinants of tHcy levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Blood Glucose↗

The predictive value of p53, Ki-67 and angiogenetic factors in primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

To evaluate the predictive role of the oncogene p53, the proliferating marker Ki-67, angiogenic factors platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase (PD-ECGF/dThdPase) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma, we immunohistochemically studied a series of 84 primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma patients who were treated at the Department of Otolaryngology of Kurume University Hospital between 1990 and 1997. The correlation of each score according to the intensity and percentage of the labeled cells with the TNM stage, histological grade, metastasis and survival status was analyzed. The positive rate of p53 was 52.4%. The percentages of Ki-67 labeled cells in patients with or without metastasis showed a significant difference (p = 0.011). VEGF also showed a significant difference between the live and death groups (p < 0.05) and also among the differentiation group (p < 0.05). A statistically significant correlation was also seen between the score of Ki-67 and VEGF (r = 0.438, p < 0.001) or the score of Ki-67 and PD-ECGF (r = 0.259, p < 0.001), respectively. In conclusion, the present study suggests that a correlation exists between proliferating and angiogenesis, and VEGF and Ki-67 are thus considered to be possible prognostic discriminators in hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

Adult↗