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Biomedical subjects

M Adachi

Publications and source records attributed to M Adachi.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Hospitalization reduction by an asthma tele-medicine system].

We examined an effectiveness of a new asthma telemedicine system in reducing hospitalizations using a multi-site randomized control study. In this program, a nurse under physician supervision monitors the patient's airway status at home and provides instructions to individuals via the telephone, helping them manage exacerbations as well as reinforcing proper use of a zone-controlled management plan. Patients with a high risk for hospitalization were screened based on the numbers of emergency room visits and hospitalizations found in a previous study and randomly assigned to either the telemedicine or control group. After a six-month study period, an 83% reduction in hospitalization was demonstrated in the telemedicine group versus the control group, with a P value of 0.01. Improvement of peak expiratory flow and symptoms were also shown in the study group. We conclude that the key success factors in home asthma management for poorly controlled asthma patients are early detection of exacerbations through daily peak flow monitoring, compliance with prescribed daily prophylactic anti-inflammatory steroid medications, and immediate action as specified by a zone-controlled action plan upon the first signs of deterioration.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Regional cerebral blood flow of the basal ganglia and thalamus measured using Xe-CT].

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) images obtained using Xe-CT have a much higher spatial resolution than SPECT or PET images. The regional CBF (rCBF) of deep brain regions, the basal ganglia and thalamus, was able to be measured using Xe-CT in 6 subjects. Average rCBF was 87.1 +/- 20.7 ml/100 g/min in the caudate nucleus, 83.5 +/- 15.8 ml/100 g/min in the putamen, 50.0 +/- 8.7 ml/100 g/min in the globus pallidus and 88.9 +/- 12.4 ml/100 g/min in the thalamus. The average rCBF value of the globus pallidus was lower than the values of the caudate nucleus, putamen and thalamus. These observations may be explained by reduced cellularity of the globus pallidus in comparison to the other regions. SPECT and PET are not able to clearly demonstrate the globus pallidus on CBF images. However, precise rCBF values can be measured in the globus pallidus using Xe-CT.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[The correlation between the exacerbation of bronchial asthma and picornavirus (human rhino virus) infection in throat gargles by RT-PCR].

Viral infection is one of important factors to cause the exacerbation of bronchial asthma. We have investigated 167 adults of asthmatics to clarify the correlation between viral infection and exacerbation of asthma. Patients were classified to four group by the symptoms of common cold and asthma attack. Furthermore, we have examined Picornavirus and Human rhino virus RNA from throat gargles of patients using RT-PCR (reverse transcription--polymerase chain reaction) method. Forty of 65 (61.5%) asthmatics with common cold revealed asthma attack and common cold was significantly associated with acute exacerbation of asthma (p < 0.01). We identified Picornavirus RNA, which include 113 of Human rhino virus serotypes and enterovirus, from the samples of 16 of 52 (30.8%) patients who had acute exacerbation. It was significantly higher than the detection rate of viral RNA from patient without asthma attack. Furthermore, we analyzed Human rhino virus RNA from the same samples by RT-PCR and 93.7% of Picornavirus were identified as Human rhino virus. Taken together, these findings suggest that common cold is significantly associated with the exacerbation of bronchial asthma. Human rhino virus infection might be one of important virus in this procedure.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Exacerbation of pustulosis palmaris et plantaris after topical application of metals accompanied by elevated levels of leukotriene B4 in pustules.

BACKGROUND: Pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (PPP) is a chronic inflammatory disease consisting of polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration, and is often exacerbated by focal infections such as tonsillitis. In some cases, metal allergy has been reported. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate (1) the significance of metal allergy in the formation of pustules, and (2) the participation of leukotriene (LT) B(4) in the formation of pustules of PPP. METHODS: Patch tests with metals were performed on 7 patients with PPP, and both pustular and plasma levels of LTB(4) were measured in these 7 patients before and 48 hours after metal patch tests. RESULTS: Palmoplantar pustules were exacerbated after the metal patch tests in all 7 patients. The mean levels of LTB(4) in plasma and pustules of the volar surface at 48 hours after the metal patch tests were significantly higher than those before the metal patch tests. CONCLUSION: Metals can be important in the pathogenesis of PPP by contributing to the induction of high LTB(4) concentration in the pustules.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2000

[An autopsy case of systemic sclerosis with small cell carcinoma of the lung].

We report an autopsy of a 69-year-old woman who had systemic sclerosis with small cell carcinoma of the lung. She had interstitial pneumonia associated with systemic sclerosis and was admitted to our hospital because of acute on chronic respiratory failure due to a respiratory tract infection. Although she was treated with antibiotics, artificial respiration, and so on, she died 54 days after admission of exacerbation of respiratory failure. Histopathological examination at autopsy revealed intermediate cell type small cell carcinoma of the lung and usual interstitial pneumonia. It is generally said that the most common type of lung cancer associated with systemic sclerosis is adenocarcinoma or alveolar cell carcinoma, and that small cell carcinoma is rare. No autopsy case of systemic sclerosis with small cell carcinoma of the lung has ever been reported in Japan. Small cell carcinoma of the lung is more responsive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy than other histological types of lung cancer. Patients with small cell lung cancer are generally treated with chemotherapy alone or a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is important to remember that the lung cancers that may be complicated with systemic sclerosis include not only adenocarcinoma and alveolar cell carcinoma but also small cell carcinoma of the lung, because the histological type may dictate the treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Two co-existing mechanisms for nuclear import of MAP kinase: passive diffusion of a monomer and active transport of a dimer.

In response to extracellular stimuli, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, also known as ERK) translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK, also know as MEK), which possesses a nuclear export signal (NES), acts as a cytoplasmic anchor of MAPK. Here we show evidence that tyrosine (Tyr190 in Xenopus MPK1/ERK2) phosphorylation of MAPK by MAPKK is necessary and sufficient for the dissociation of the MAPKK-MAPK complex, and that the dissociation of the complex is required for the nuclear translocation of MAPK. We then show that nuclear entry of MAPK through a nuclear pore occurs via two distinct mechanisms. Nuclear import of wild-type MAPK (mol. wt 42 kDa) was induced by activation of the MAPK pathway even in the presence of wheat germ agglutinin or dominant-negative Ran, whereas nuclear import of beta-galactosidase (beta-gal)-fused MAPK (mol. wt 160 kDa), which occurred in response to stimuli, was completely blocked by these inhibitors. Moreover, while a dimerization-deficient mutant of MAPK was able to translocate to the nucleus upon stimulation, this mutant MAPK, when fused to beta-gal, became unable to enter the nucleus. These results suggest that monomeric and dimeric forms of MAPK enter the nucleus by passive diffusion and active transport mechanisms, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Protein kinase Calpha promotes apoptotic cell death in gastric cancer cells depending upon loss of anchorage.

Disruption of interactions between epithelial cells and extracellular matrix proteins leads to apoptosis of the cells, a phenomenon termed anoikis. Anoikis seems to play important roles in control of cellular positioning and inhibition of inappropriate cell growth. Here we found that a protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) promoted cell death in human gastric cancer cell lines MKN45 and MKN74 only when they lost anchorage. Loss of anchorage slightly increased enzymatic activity of PKCalpha, and an addition of TPA promoted cell death with further increase of PKCalpha activity, but not PKCbeta in MKN45 cells, implicating an involvement of PKCalpha in anoikis. Furthermore, vaccinia virus-mediated overexpression of PKCalpha strongly increased CPP32 activity in the detached MKN45 and MKN74 cells, and augmented anoikis, however it had little effect on viability and CPP32 activity in the attached cells. Taken together, PKCalpha promotes apoptotic cell death in gastric cancer cells depending upon loss of anchorage, thereby may be a modulator of anoikis.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1999

Direct suppression of TCR-mediated activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase by leukocyte protein tyrosine phosphatase, a tyrosine-specific phosphatase.

Leukocyte protein tyrosine phosphatase (LC-PTP)/hemopoietic PTP is a human cytoplasmic PTP that is predominantly expressed in the hemopoietic cells. Recently, it was reported that hemopoietic PTP inhibited TCR-mediated signal transduction. However, the precise mechanism of the inhibition was not identified. Here we report that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is the direct target of LC-PTP. LC-PTP dephosphorylated ERK2 in vitro. Expression of wild-type LC-PTP in 293T cells suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK2 by a mutant MEK1, which was constitutively active regardless of upstream activation signals. No suppression of the phosphorylation was observed by LC-PTPCS, a catalytically inactive mutant. In Jurkat cells, LC-PTP suppressed the ERK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades. LC-PTP and LC-PTPCS made complexes with ERK1, ERK2, and p38alpha, but not with the gain-of-function sevenmaker ERK2 mutant (D321N). A small deletion (aa 1-46) in the N-terminal portion of LC-PTP or Arg to Ala substitutions at aa 41 and 42 resulted in the loss of ERK binding activity. These LC-PTP mutants revealed little inhibition of the ERK cascade activated by TCR cross-linking. On the other hand, the wild-type LC-PTP did not suppress the phosphorylation of sevenmaker ERK2 mutant. Thus, the complex formation of LC-PTP with ERK is the essential mechanism for the suppression. Taken collectively, these results indicate that LC-PTP suppresses mitogen-activated protein kinase directly in vivo.

Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases↗
PubMed1999

Electrically driven motor in the outer hair cell: effect of a mechanical constraint.

The outer hair cell has a unique voltage-dependent motility associated with charge transfer across the plasma membrane. To examine mechanical changes in the membrane that are coupled with such charge movements, we digested the undercoating of the membrane with trypsin. We inflated the cell into a sphere and constrained the surface area by not allowing volume changes. We found that this constraint on the membrane area sharply reduced motor-associated charge movement across the membrane, demonstrating that charge transfer is directly coupled with membrane area change. This electromechanical coupling in the plasma membrane must be the key element for the motile mechanism of the outer hair cell.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Structure of raw starch-digesting Bacillus cereus beta-amylase complexed with maltose.

The crystals of beta-amylase from Bacillus cereus belong to space group P21 with the following cell dimensions: a = 57.70 A, b = 92.87 A, c = 65.93 A, and beta =101.95 degrees. The structures of free and maltose-bound beta-amylases were determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.1 and 2.5 A with R-factors of 0.170 and 0.164, respectively. The final model of the maltose-bound form comprises 516 amino acid residues, four maltose molecules, 275 water molecules, one Ca2+, one acetate, and one sulfate ion. The enzyme consists of a core (beta/alpha)8-barrel domain (residues 5-434) and a C-terminal starch-binding domain (residues 435-613). Besides the active site in the core where two maltose molecules are bound in tandem, two novel maltose-binding sites were found in the core L4 region and in the C-terminal domain. The structure of the core domain is similar to that of soybean beta-amylase except for the L4 maltose-binding site, whereas the C-terminal domain has the same secondary structure as domain E of cyclodextrin glucosyltransferase. These two maltose-binding sites are 32-36 A apart from the active site. These results indicate that the ability of B. cereus beta-amylase to digest raw starch can be attributed to the additional two maltose-binding sites.

Acetates↗
PubMed1999

BAG-1 accelerates cell motility of human gastric cancer cells.

BAG-1 is a Hsp70/Hsc70-binding protein that interacts with Bcl-2, Raf-1, steroid hormone receptors, Siah-1, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptors, implying multiple functions for the BAG-1 protein. Here, we provide evidence that gene transfer-mediated overexpression of BAG-1 markedly enhances the motility of human gastric cancer cells. Two independent in vitro migration assays showed that the BAG-1-expressing MKN74 cells exhibited more active migration compared with control transfectants or parent MKN74 cells. In MKN74 cells, the overexpression of BAG-1 affected neither cell adhesion capability nor migration responses to HGF. The promotive effect of BAG-1 on cell migration was similarly observed in transfectants of another human gastric cancer MKN45 cell line. In BAG-1 transfected gastric cancer MKN74 cells, BAG-1 colocalized with cytokeratin as well as actin filaments, and was concentrated at membrane ruffles induced by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Taken together, these studies demonstrate that BAG-1 has a novel function as promoter of cell migration in human gastric cancer cells, possibly through cooperation with cytoskeletal proteins.

Actins↗
PubMed1999

Young-Simpson syndrome: further delineation of a distinct syndrome with congenital hypothyroidism, congenital heart defects, facial dysmorphism, and mental retardation.

Young-Simpson syndrome is a rare congenital disorder, characterized by congenital hypothyroidism, congenital heart defects, facial dysmorphism, cryptorchidism in males, hypotonia, mental retardation, and postnatal growth retardation. We describe the cases of a 5-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl with a similar constellation of symptoms and compared them with previously reported patients.

Brain↗
PubMed1999

Control of the cell morphology and the S phase entry by mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. A regulatory role of its n-terminal region.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK)/MAP kinase (MAPK) cascade plays an important role in the growth control of mammalian cells. We have found that expression of constitutively active MAPKK induces rapid morphological changes of fibroblastic cells, which are accompanied by disruption of stress fibers and disappearance of focal adhesions. These changes took place under the conditions that inhibited cellular Ras function, suggesting a linkage between the MAPK cascade and the control of cell morphology. We further show that constitutively active MAPKK can induce expression of endogenous Fos protein, an immediately early gene product, and cause the S phase entry of G0-arrested cells. Finally, expression of the N-terminal fragment of MAPKK which encompasses the nuclear export signal sequence and the MAPK-binding site blocked both the serum-induced S phase entry of quiescent cells and the oncogenic Ras-induced morphological changes. All these results demonstrate that MAPKK is one of key molecules involved in the control of both cell morphology and cell proliferation and suggest an important role for the N-terminal region of MAPKK in the regulation of the MAPK signaling.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1999

A novel molecular staging protocol for non-small cell lung cancer.

A molecular staging protocol using reliable markers is of importance in predicting the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and for instituting their appropriate post-surgical treatment. We analysed tumor tissues from 187 NSCLC patients. The DNA and mRNA were extracted from frozen specimens, and then polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and direct sequencing were performed to investigate mutations of p53 from exons 5-8, and mutations of K-ras at exon 1. To determine MRP-1/CD9 gene and KA11/CD82 gene expression, which have been postulated to be metastasis suppressor genes, we have applied quantitative RT-PCR. A Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that nodal status, MRP-1/CD9 and K-ras status were significant factors for prognosis (P<0.0001, P=0.0083 and P=0.0004, respectively). Based on these results, we classified the patients into three groups according to their MRP-1/ CD9 and K-ras status. Patients with both MRP-1/CD9 positive and wild K-ras tumors were defined as group A, patients with either reduced MRP-1/CD9 or mutant K-ras tumors were defined as group B and patients with both reduced MRP-1/CD9 and mutant K-ras tumors were designated as group C. This new classification was significantly correlated with the tumor status and pathological stage (P=0.0098 and P=0.0017, respectively). The overall survival rate of the group A patients was significantly better than the group B patients (59.6% vs 27.9%, P=0.0001) and also that of group B patients was better than the group C patients (27.9% vs 20.0%, P=0.0378). This tendency was also found in patients with 110 node-negative NSCLCs (A vs B vs C=75.8% vs 34.9% vs 0.0%, P<0.0001). A Cox multivariate regression analysis in NSCLC patients demonstrated that an evaluation for both MRP-1/CD9 expression and K-ras mutations had a significant prognostic effect as well as nodal status (P<0.0001).

Adult↗