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Biomedical subjects

M Ikeuchi

Publications and source records attributed to M Ikeuchi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[The actual conditions of patients with intractable diseases in Hiroshima Prefecture].

All 3,515 patients of intractable diseases who received medical benefits in Hiroshima prefecture were surveyed to determine actual conditions of daily life while being treated. This is the first study in Japan, which has looked at daily life of all patients of intractable diseases at the level of a whole prefecture. Effective collection rate of the questionnaire was 78.8% (2,768 cases). The results are summarized as follows: 1) Many patients and their families wish to be treated at home, with the more severely impaired patients expressing a greater need for home care. 2) Large regional differences were seen in required travel time to visit the hospital, and in the percentage of patients and their families who expressed a desire for medical specialists in intractable diseases for their region. 3) While income of families of the severely impaired patient was generally low, their medical payment burden was heavy. In addition families of patients were heavily burdened physically and mentally. The tasks that lie ahead in the care of patients of intractable diseases would be home care assistance, correction of regional differences, and financial aid for severely impaired patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Synergism in insulin-like effects of molybdate plus H2O2 or tungstate plus H2O2 on glucose transport by isolated rat adipocytes.

The effect of molybdate, tungstate, molybdate plus H2O2 or tungstate plus H2O2 on 3-O-methylglucose (3-O-MG) uptake was studied in isolated rat adipocytes to investigate whether these agents possess an insulin-like action. High concentrations (10-30 mM) of molybdate or tungstate significantly stimulated the uptake of 3-O-MG while 1 mM of the metaloxides did not. The combination of 1 mM molybdate and 1 mM H2O2, or 1 mM tungstate and 1 mM H2O2 induced striking stimulation of the uptake of 3-O-MG in a synergistic manner, whereas 1 mM H2O2 alone showed only a small effect. The effect of metaloxides plus H2O2 (1 mM) and the effect of insulin (20 nM) were not additive, and both effects were ATP or energy dependent based on experiments using KCN. These results indicate that a weak insulin-like effect of molybdate or tungstate is potentiated synergistically with H2O2, presumably by producing peroxocompounds. Based on the present findings, these new agents may be useful for investigating the mechanism of insulin action and may indicate a new class of drugs for diabetes mellitus.

3-O-Methylglucose↗
PubMed1992

Purification and characterization of the photosystem I complex from the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413.

A photoactive photosystem I complex has been purified from the filamentous, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413. Cells were broken using glass beads, and the membrane fraction was solubilized with beta-dodecyl maltoside followed by two rounds of fast protein liquid chromatography on anion exchange columns. The polypeptide composition of the isolated complex was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and N-terminal amino acid sequencing of the fractionated proteins. The purified complex consists of at least 11 proteins, identified as the PsaA, PsaB, PsaC, PsaD, PsaE, PsaF, PsaI, PsaJ, PsaK, PsaL, and PsaN proteins. The spectrum of the flash-induced absorbance change measured between 670 and 830 nm shows that the purified complex contains 99 +/- 11 chlorophyll a molecules per P700, the primary donor in photosystem I. The kinetics of the rereduction of oxidized P700 following an actinic flash indicate that forward electron transfer from P700 to the FA/FB iron-sulfur center acceptors is functional in the isolated complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Stoichiometric association of extrinsic cytochrome c550 and 12 kDa protein with a highly purified oxygen-evolving photosystem II core complex from Synechococcus vulcanus.

A highly purified, native photosystem II (PS II) core complex was isolated from thylakoids of Synechococcus vulcanus, a thermophilic cyanobacterium by lauryldimethylamine N-oxide (LDAO) and dodecyl beta-D-maltoside solubilization. This native PS II core complex contained, in addition to the proteins that have been well characterized in the core complex previously purified by LDAO and Triton X-100, two more extrinsic proteins with apparent molecular weights of 17 and 12 kDa. These two proteins were associated with the core complex in stoichiometric amounts and could be released by treatment with 1 M CaCl2 or 1 M alkaline Tris but not by 2 M NaCl or low-glycerol treatment, indicating that they are the real components of PS II of this cyanobacterium. N-Terminal sequencing revealed that the 17 and 12 kDa proteins correspond to the apoprotein of cytochrome c550, a low potential c-type cytochrome, and the 9 kDa extrinsic protein previously found in a partially purified PS II preparation from Phormidium laminosum, respectively. In spite of retention of these two extrinsic proteins, no homologues of higher plant 23 and 17 kDa extrinsic proteins could be detected in this cyanobacterial PS II core complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

In vivo and in vitro effects of cyclosporin A on glucose transport by soleus muscles of mice.

The effect of cyclosporin A (CyA) on 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) uptake by soleus muscles of ICR mice was studied in vivo and in vitro. The basal and insulin-stimulated uptakes of 2DG by the muscles as well as the plasma insulin level were significantly decreased by the in vivo treatment of mice with 20 mg/kg/day of CyA for 6 weeks (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05), whereas the insulin binding was increased inversely in the muscles from 20 mg/kg/day CyA-treated mice. The insulin-stimulated uptake of 2DG by the muscles was significantly decreased by the in vitro treatment of the muscles with 1, 10 and 100 micrograms/mL of CyA (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01, respectively), while the basal uptake of 2DG was not changed by the in vitro treatment of the muscles with CyA. The insulin binding to the muscles was not altered by the in vitro treatment of the muscles with CyA. These findings suggest that CyA affects not only the insulin secretion from the pancreatic islets but also the postbinding mechanisms of insulin action on the glucose transport by the muscles, which may account for a part of the diabetogenic effect of CyA.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1992

Presence of an N-terminal presequence in the PsaI protein of the photosystem I complex in the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413.

The psaI gene encoding the 5.2 kDa protein component (PsaI) of the photosystem I complex was cloned from the cyanobacterium Anabaena 29413. The gene is present in single copy in this cyanobacterial genome. The nucleotide sequence of a 500 bp region of the cloned DNA revealed the presence of an open reading frame encoding a 46 amino acid long polypeptide. The N-terminal 11 residues are absent in the mature polypeptide and thus represents the first identified cleavable presequence on the PsaI protein. We suggest that this presequence directs the N-terminus of the protein to the thylakoid lumen.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

An immunopotentiator of beta-1,6;1,3 D-glucan prevents diabetes and insulitis in BB rats.

The preventive effect of an immunopotentiator, beta-1,6;1,3 D-glucan, on the development of diabetes and insulitis was studied in BB rats. The intravenous administration of 1 mg kg-1 week-1 of beta-1,6;1,3 D-glucan from the age of 4 weeks decreased the cumulative incidence of diabetes from 43.3% (13/30) to 6.7% (2/30) (P less than 0.005) and also the incidence of insulitis from 82.4% (14/17) to 26.3% (5/19) at the age of 20 weeks (P less than 0.002). Eight of nine rats were free from diabetes for 5 weeks after stopping beta-1,6;1,3 D-glucan at the age of 20 weeks. The total numbers of leukocytes in the peripheral blood and spleen of the rats were increased by beta-1,6;1,3 D-glucan treatment (P less than 0.05), whereas their T lymphocytes subsets were not changed. These data indicate that immunopotentiators could modulate the autoimmune mechanisms directed to pancreatic islets and inhibit the development of diabetes in BB rats.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1992

Urinary excretion of human growth hormone in children with short stature: correlation with pituitary secretion of human growth hormone.

Thirty-five children with short-stature underwent insulin-loading and sleep tests for assessment of secretion of human growth hormone. Correlations between the levels of human growth hormone in the serum and urine during the tests were examined to elucidate the clinical significance of urinary human growth hormone levels in short children. The concentration and total amount of human growth hormone in the urine correlated significantly with the peak concentration of serum human growth hormone (r = 0.81, p less than 0.001 and r = 0.80, p less than 0.001, respectively) and the integrated concentration of human growth hormone (r = 0.85, p less than 0.001 and r = 0.85, p less than 0.001, respectively) in the insulin-loading test. The concentration and total amount of human growth hormone in the morning urine also correlated significantly with the peak concentration of serum human growth hormone (r = 0.80, p less than 0.001 and r = 0.70, p less than 0.001, respectively) and the integrated concentration of serum human growth hormone (r = 0.80, p less than 0.001 and r = 0.72, p less than 0.001, respectively) in the sleep test. The concentration or total amount of human growth hormone in the urine differed significantly among children with human growth hormone deficiency, those with nonendocrine short stature, and those with normal stature (p less than 0.05). These data suggest that measurement of human growth hormone in the urine may be used to assess secretion of human growth hormone, serving as a screening test for human growth hormone deficiency in children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Clinical significance of serum CA130 level in women with spontaneous abortion, hydatidiform mole and early normal and tubal pregnancy].

We examined the serum CA130 level in women in early pregnancy with normal (n = 13), and abnormal (n = 28) course. The abnormal course consisted of intrauterine spontaneous abortion (n = 10), hydatidiform mole (n = 3) and tubal pregnancy (n = 15). The serum CA130 level was higher than for normal nonpregnant women (35u/ml) in 69% (9/13) of women with normal pregnancy, 90% (9/10) of those with intrauterine spontaneous abortion and 100% (3/3) of those with hydatidiform mole; the mean value and standard deviation for these three groups were 131 +/- 150u/ml (n = 13), 197 +/- 253u/ml (n = 10), and 47 +/- 15u/ml (n = 3), respectively. In contrast, the serum CA130 level of the 15 women with tubal pregnancy was 28 +/- 21u/ml. Among these patients, all of the 13 women without genital bleeding had a CA130 level within the normal range for nonpregnant women (mean +/- SD; 20 +/- 6u/ml). Since CA130 is abundant in the decidual tissue but is scant in tubal tissue, a high CA130 level in maternal sera during early pregnancy may indicate the presence of the destruction of decidual tissue, while a low or normal CA130 level throughout early pregnancy is regarded as characteristic of tubal pregnancy.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1991

Evidence that polymyxin B is a glucose transport inhibitor.

The effect of polymyxin B on 3-O-methylglucose transport was studied in isolated rat adipocytes and erythrocytes. Polymyxin B (300 micrograms/mL) inhibited basal transport and insulin-stimulated transport of 3-O-methylglucose in adipocytes by 26.1 and 40.1%, respectively. Polymyxin B at concentrations of 300 and 3000 micrograms/mL inhibited transport of 3-O-methylglucose in erythrocytes by 20.0 and 40.8%, respectively. Polymyxin E at a concentration of 3000 micrograms/mL also inhibited, by 40.6%, the transport of 3-O-methylglucose in erythrocytes but 300 micrograms/mL of polymyxin E did not inhibit it significantly. These results indicate that polymyxin B inhibits glucose transport per se, as well as the insulin-dependent stimulation of glucose transport.

3-O-Methylglucose↗
PubMed1991

Identities of four low-molecular-mass subunits of the photosystem I complex from Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413. Evidence for the presence of the psaI gene product in a cyanobacterial complex.

Photosystem I (PSI) complex of Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413 consists of at least 11 subunits, 9 of which are resolved by high resolution gel electrophoresis. N-terminal amino acid sequences of the four subunits with molecular masses of 6.8, 5.2, 4.8 and 3.5 kDa were determined. Based on the sequence homology, the 3.5 kDa subunit was revealed to correspond to PSI-I (the gene product of psaI), which had so far been detected only in higher plant PSI complexes. The 6.8 kDa protein and 4.8 kDa protein were identified as gene products of psaK and psaJ, respectively. The 5.2 kDa protein was homologous to a 4.8 kDa subunit of PSI of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechococcus vulcanus, suggesting that this protein is a component of PSI in cyanobacteria.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Cloning of the psbK gene from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and characterization of photosystem II in mutants lacking PSII-K.

We cloned and sequenced the psbK gene, coding for a small photosystem II component (PSII-K), from the transformable cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and determined the N-terminal sequence of mature PSII-K. The psbK gene product is processed by cleaving off eight amino acid residues from the N terminus. A mutant lacking psbK was constructed; this mutant grew photoautotrophically, but its growth rate was reduced. The number of photosystem II reaction centers on a chlorophyll basis was decreased by less than a factor of 2 in the psbK-deletion mutant. In Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, the psbK gene is transcribed as a single gene and is not part of an operon. Single-site mutations were introduced into psbK leading to early termination or deletion of the presequence. The phenotype of these mutants strongly resembles that of the psbK deletion mutant, indicating that indeed the change in phenotype in the deletion mutant is directly correlated with PSII-K. PSII-K is not essential for photosystem II assembly or activity but is needed for optimal photosystem II function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Two new components of 9 and 14 kDa from spinach photosystem I complex.

Two formerly-uncharacterized subunits of 9 kDa and 14 kDa were found in spinach PSI complex. The 9 kDa subunit was released upon removal of antenna chlorophyll complex, whereas the 14 kDa subunit was tightly bound to the core complex. We determined the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 9 kDa, and an internal sequence of the 14 kDa subunit after protease treatment, since the N-terminus of the latter protein was blocked. These partial sequences suggested that both subunits are new PSI components.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

[Quantitative analysis of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate in tea leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography].

The quantitative analysis of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a C-18 reversed-phase column. EGCG was then eluted within 20 min by using methanol-water-acetic acid (20:75:5 (v/v/v)) as an eluent. As an internal standard, tryptophan was used. The content of EGCG in five kinds of green tea (sencha, gyokuro, bancha, matsucha and oolong tea) and in a cup of those was determined by both the extraction method with 50% (v/v) methanol and the infusion method with water. The largest amount of EGCG was obtained from matsucha by the extraction method, or from sencha by the infusion method. Furthermore, EGCG contents in various parts of the tea plant were examined. The first leaf had the highest concentration of EGCG, and the concentration of EGCG decreased with the aging of the leaf.

Catechin↗