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Biomedical subjects

M Ito

Publications and source records attributed to M Ito.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Review article: clinical significance of mucosal-protective agents: acid, inflammation, carcinogenesis and rebamipide.

While a great deal of clinical evidence has been found regarding anti-acids for the treatment of gastric disorders including peptic ulcers, not all disorders can be explained only by the hyperfunction of acid secretion. Especially in the Asian region, glandular atrophy is more prominent than in Western countries, therefore low acid output is often observed in these patients. Improvement of mucosal protection is rational therapy for these patients; this is the reason for use of these agents in Asian countries. Rebamipide has many biological activities for gastric mucosa such as increasing the blood flow and biosynthesis prostaglandins and the decrease of oxygen radicals. These suggest the possible efficacy of rebamipide in the prevention of both Helicobacter pylori-related and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced gastric injury, which has been proved by human studies. Rebamipide is the only mucosal-protective drug which can improve the histological gastritis in vivo, whereas anti-acids have a lesser effect in influencing gastritis. Improvement of gastritis is expressed not only in quantity but also in quality of gastritis, which is shown as the reduction of iNOS expression in the gastric mucosa. Clinically, it is suggested that rebamipide has the potential to prevent gastric carcinogenesis by improvement of histological gastritis.

Alanine↗
PubMed2003

Overexpression of Bax inhibitor suppresses the fungal elicitor-induced cell death in rice (Oryza sativa L) cells.

Treatment of suspension-cultured cells of rice (Oryza sativa L.) with cell wall extract of rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe grisea) elicits a rapid generation of H2O2, alkalinization of culture medium, and eventual cell death. To elucidate genes involved in these processes, we exploited SAGE (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression) technique for the molecular analysis of cell death in suspension-cultured cells treated with the elicitor. Among the downregulated genes in the elicitor-treated cells, a BI-1 gene coding for Bax inhibitor was identified. Transgenic rice cells overexpressing Arabidopsis BI-1 gene showed sustainable cell survival when challenged with M. grisea elicitor. Thus, the plant Bax inhibitor plays a functional role in regulating cell death in the rice cell culture system.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2003

Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis in Papua, Indonesia in 2001: detection of human worm carriers.

A preliminary study to detect human worm carriers of Taenia solium in Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia was carried out using stool examinations for the detection of copro-antigens and adult proglottids after chemotherapy, and confirmation by mitochondrial DNA analysis using expelled proglottids and metacestodes developed in NOD/Shi-scid mice from eggs of expelled proglottids. Approximately 8.6% of the local population in Kama (5/58), 1 km from the local capital city centre, Wamena, were confirmed to harbour adult T. solium using these techniques.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Helicobacter pylori infection influences tumor growth of human gastric carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection is considered a risk factor for gastric carcinoma. However, the effect of eradication therapy in gastric carcinoma patients is not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection and tumor growth of gastric carcinoma. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with gastric carcinoma participated in the study. Thirty-three were H. pylori-positive, 6 were H. pylori-negative, and 12 were diagnosed with gastric carcinoma after eradication of H. pylori. To investigate tumor growth of gastric carcinoma, cell proliferation and angiogenesis of the tumors were evaluated by immunohistochemical techniques using Ki-67 and CD34. RESULTS: The Ki-67 labeling index was 47.9 +/- 2.6 (mean +/- s) in the H. pylori-positive group, 38.1 +/- 3.6 in the H. pylori-eradicated group, and 22.2 +/- 5.5 in the H. pylori-negative group. It was significantly lower in the H. pylori-eradicated and H. pylori-negative groups than in the H. pylori-positive one, and a significant difference was also found between the H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-eradicated groups. The microvessel counts were 62.5 +/- 3.0, 50.2 +/- 4.0, and 66.0 +/- 9.8 in the positive, eradicated, and negative groups, respectively. A significant difference was found between the H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-eradicated groups. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that H. pylori infection is associated with cell proliferation, and its eradication may influence tumor vascularity of gastric carcinoma. Therefore, H. pylori eradication therapy may contribute to the suppression of tumor growth.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Polarity of helper T cell subsets represents disease nature and clinical course of experimental autoimmune myocarditis in rats.

The mechanisms of progression, remission and relapse of myocarditis remain unclear. To clarify these mechanisms, we focused on T helper-1 (Th1)/T helper-2 (Th2) subsets balance of peripheral lymphocytes and serum cytokine levels during disease progression in rats with experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). Lewis rats were immunized with cardiac myosin on day 0. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7, 15, 18, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56 following immunization. We examined percentages of interferon (IFN)-gamma and/or interleukin (IL)-4 producing cells in stimulated peripheral CD4-positive lymphocytes using flow cytometry analysis. Serum IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The percentage of Th1/Th2 subsets in EAM on days 0, 15, 28 and 56 were 2.5 +/- 0.5/0.5 +/- 0.1%, 19.4 +/- 3.2/1.6 +/- 0.3%, 2.0 +/- 0.5/22.1 +/- 5.7% and 3.0 +/- 0.4/1.7 +/- 0.3%, respectively. Serum levels of Th1 cytokines, IFN-gamma and IL-2 significantly increased in the acute phase (from day 15-18) and immediately decreased in the early recovery phase. On the other hand, serum levels of Th2 cytokine, IL-10 significantly increased in the early recovery phase (from day 24-30). These results suggest that induction of acute myocarditis might be associated with systemic Th1 dominance, while recovery is related to systemic Th2 polarity. Thus, analysis of Th1/Th2 balance in peripheral T cells may be useful in disease monitoring in patients with myocarditis and postmyocarditic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

Disruption of imprinting in cloned mouse fetuses from embryonic stem cells.

Cloned mice typically display abnormal development, such as overgrowth of fetuses and placentae. Quantitative expression analysis of eight imprinted genes (H19, Igf2, Igf2r, Air, Peg1/Mest, Peg3, Nuronatin (Nnat) and Ndn) and an alternate transcript of Igf2 (P0) in embryonic stem cloned fetuses and placentae at days 9.5, 12.5 and 17.5 after mating was carried out by real time PCR to investigate whether epigenetic modification of imprinted genes is responsible for overgrowth of the fetus and placental hypertrophy. In addition, the methylation pattern through the bisulphite sequencing method in differentially methylated regions of H19 and Igf2r was examined in day 9.5 fetuses and placentae. The results showed clearly that the expression of H19 gene decreased in cloned fetuses at days 12.5 and 17.5 after mating and in placentae at day 17.5 after mating, and Igf2 was also repressed in fetuses at days 9.5 and 12.5 after mating and in placentae at day 17.5 after mating. In contrast, the transcription of P0, which is a placental-specific transcript variant of Igf2, increased at more than four times the control in cloned placenta at day 12.5 after mating. Day 9.5 fetuses that have developed normally revealed only hypermethylated alleles in the H19 differently methylated region (DMR), and both hyper- and hypomethylated alleles in the Igf2r DMR2. These results show that inappropriate reprogramming in some imprinted genes affects the development of cloned embryos, and that aberrant P0 Igf2 transcription in particular may cause the overgrowth of cloned fetuses and placentae.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Epidemiological characteristics of acute pulmonary thromboembolism in Japan.

AIM: In Japan, acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APTE) is still rare, but the number of patients with APTE has been steadily increasing. It is important for early diagnosis and early management of APTE to recognize epidemiological characteristics of this condition. METHODS: We investigated the epidemiological characteristics of 252 patients with APTE who were admitted to our institutions between 1975 and 2001. APTE was more prevalent in women that in men. It was observed the most in the age group between 50s to 70s, especially in women. Many patients had prolonged immobilization, recent major operation, obesity, or cancer, as risk factors for venous thromboembolism. One hundred and thirty-eight patients developed APTE in hospital; 60 patients were in Department of Internal Medicine, 28 in General Surgery, 15 in Orthopedics, 15 in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and 20 in other services. RESULTS: Among 58 patients with malignancy, 43% had cancers in digestive organs, 21% in gynecological, and 17% in urological. Among 61 patients who were examined for the presence of thrombophilia, 13 patients had inherited thrombophilia (8 protein C deficiency, 4 protein S deficiency, and 1 antithrombin III deficiency) 11 had antiphospholipid antibodies which indicated thrombophilia. Five out of the above 61 patients (8%) had no obvious risk factors including thrombophilia. CONCLUSION: The findings in our patients were almost the same as those in Western patients, except for some points. These results might be useful to establish a preventive approach for APTE in Japan.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2002

UDP-Gal: betaGlcNAc beta1, 3-galactosyltransferase, polypeptide 3 (GALT3) is a tumour antigen recognised by HLA-A2-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes from patients with brain tumour.

Patient prognosis in the case of malignant brain tumours is generally poor, despite significant improvements in the early detection of the tumours, and thus the development of new treatment modalities is needed. One of the most prominent modalities is specific immunotherapy, for which the elucidation of antigenic molecules of malignant brain tumours recognized by T cells is essential. We report here a gene, UDP-Gal: betaGlcNAc beta1, 3-galactosyltransferase, polypeptide 3, encoding three epitope peptides recognised by tumor-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes in an HLA-A2-restricted manner. Two of the three peptides possessed an ability to induce HLA-A2-restricted and tumour-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with brain tumours. These peptides may be useful in the peptide-based specific immunotherapy for patients with malignant brain tumours.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗
PubMed2002

Ullrich disease: collagen VI deficiency: EM suggests a new basis for muscular weakness.

Ullrich disease is a form of congenital muscular dystrophy characterized clinically by generalized muscle weakness, contractures of the proximal joints, and hyperflexibility of the distal joints from birth or early infancy. Recently, mutations of the collagen VI gene have been associated with Ullrich disease. The authors report on a boy with Ullrich disease who has complete deficiency of collagen VI and harbors compound heterozygous mutations in the collagen VI alpha 2 gene. Absence of microfibrils on EM, together with normal collagen fibrils and basal lamina, suggests that loss of a link between interstitium and basal lamina may be a new molecular pathomechanism of muscular dystrophy.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2002

Molecular biology in cerebral cortex of sudden infant death syndrome.

Full-scale investigations of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) by methods of molecular pathology have been carried out. This paper reports the basic preliminary data of SIDS cerebral cortex analyzed by restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) method, which is the second dimension electrophoresis of DNA recently developed in Japan. The RLGS method was carried out separately using the cerebral cortex of a 4-month-old infant with SIDS and using the cerebral cortex of a 3-month-old infant as a control to investigate SIDS-specific spots. As a result, the coincidence rate of spots between the infant with SIDS and the infant without SIDS was 98.12%. The average coincidence rate of spots in humans is usually 99.07%. Therefore, it was confirmed that the coincidence rate of spots by RLGS between the infant with SIDS and the infant without SIDS was lower than that in humans. In addition, the incidence of SIDS-specific spots was 1.19% and the incidence of non-SIDS-specific spots was 0.6%.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed2002

A comparison of alfacalcidol and menatetrenone for the treatment of bone loss in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis.

We conducted this study to evaluate the characteristic effects of alfacalcidol (ALF) and menatetrenone (VK) in preventing bone loss using an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. Bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) or sham operation was performed on 10-month-old female Wistar rats. OVX caused a significant decrease in the bone mass and the mechanical strength of the lumbar vertebra as well as the femur 6 months after surgery. VK treatment (30 mg/kg, food intake) required a 6-month period to prevent the bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency, whereas ALF (0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg, p.o.) increased the bone mass and the mechanical strength of the lumbar vertebra as well as the femur in a 3-month treatment period, far above the level in the sham-operated rats. Neither ALF or VK caused hypercalcemia, despite administration for as long as 6 months. By doing a micro-CT analysis of the vertebral trabecular microstructure, it was revealed that ALF treatment increased the interconnections and the plate-like structures and that VK significantly increased the trabecular number. It was also indicated that the increase in spinal strength by ALF treatment was closely associated with improvement of the microstructure, but not VK. The results of histomorphometric analysis showed that ALF caused a significant suppression of bone resorption yet maintained formation in the endocortical perimeter, and also stimulated bone formation in the periosteal perimeter, thereby causing an increase in cortical area. No marked effect of VK on histomorphometric parameters was observed, whereas VK as well as ALF maintained the material strength at femoral midshaft of the normal level, suggesting that VK affected bone quality and thereby prevented the decrease in mechanical strength of femur caused by OVX. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the two drugs, ALF and VK, differed markedly in their potency and mechanisms for improving bone strength. These results have important implications in understanding the characteristic actions of vitamin K and active vitamin D on bone metabolism.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Further evidence for the decay K+ -->pi+nu(nu).

Additional evidence for the rare kaon decay K+-->pi+nu(nu) has been found in a new data set with comparable sensitivity to the previously reported result. One new event was observed in the pion momentum region examined, 211 pi+nu(nu)) = 1.57(+1.75)(-0.82)x10(-10).

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Low-dose ACTH therapy for West syndrome: initial effects and long-term outcome.

BACKGROUND: Most Japanese pediatric neurologists attempt other treatments before using adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy for West syndrome (WS), and even then, they use only a low-dose synthetic ACTH to avoid serious adverse effects. In this multi-institutional study, the authors analyzed the initial effects, adverse effects, and long-term outcome in patients treated with low-dose synthetic ACTH in Japan. METHODS: The medical records of 138 patients with WS, who were treated with low-dose synthetic ACTH therapy for the first time at the authors' institutions between 1989 and 1998, were analyzed. RESULTS: At the end of ACTH therapy, excellent effect on seizures was noted in 106 of 138 (76%) patients, good effect in 23 (17%), and poor effect in 9 (7%). Initial effects on EEG were excellent in 53 of 138 (38%) patients, good in 76 (55%), and poor in 9 (7%). As for seizure prognosis at the time of follow-up, 51 of 99 (52%) patients were seizure-free, whereas 48 (48%) patients had seizures. Mental outcome was normal in 6 of 98 (6%) patients, mild mental retardation in 16 (16%), moderate mental retardation in 26 (27%), and severe mental retardation in 50 (51%). The initial effects of ACTH on seizures and long-term outcome were not dose dependent (daily dosage 0.005 to 0.032 mg/kg, 0.2 to 1.28 IU/kg; total dosage 0.1 to 0.87 mg/kg, 4 to 34.8 IU/kg). The severity of adverse effects correlated with total dosage of ACTH, and the severity of brain volume loss due to ACTH correlated well with the daily dosage and total dosage of ACTH. CONCLUSION: Low-dose synthetic ACTH therapy is as effective for the treatment of WS as the higher doses used in previous studies. The dosage of synthetic ACTH used in the treatment of WS can be decreased as much as possible to avoid serious adverse effects.

Brain↗
PubMed2002

Alterations of insulin sensitivity by the implantation of 3T3-L1 cells in nude mice. A role for TNF-alpha?

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Visceral adipocytes have different functions than those from the subcutaneous fat area. These differences could contribute to the pathological significance of excessive visceral fat accumulation for accompanying insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia. This study addresses this hypothesis and describes a unique method to clarify whether the functional differences between visceral and subcutaneous adipocytes depend on their anatomical location. METHODS: 3T3-L1 cells or TNF-alpha overexpressing CHO cells were implanted into subcutaneous fat area or mesenteric area as visceral fat area in athymic mice of BALB/C strain. Then, serum insulin, glucose, TNF-alpha, and several markers of lipid metabolism were measured in the fasting condition. OGTT was also analysed. RESULTS: During the course of glucose loading, the mice which had 3T3-L1 cells implanted into mesenteric area but not into subcutaneous fat area showed remarkably increased serum insulin and TMF-alpha concentrations, compared to the control mice. Moreover, serum insulin concentrations of the mice, implanted with TNF-alpha overexpressing cells into subcutaneous fat area, were apparently higher than that of control mice. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: This method of implanting adipose cells into subcutaneous or visceral fat area showed high TNF-alpha concentration and insulin resistance by the adipose cells in visceral area of nude mice. Furthermore, we found that the functional significance of visceral fat accumulation for TNF-alpha-induced insulin resistance is partly caused by the interaction of adipocytes with surrounding conditions in mesenteric area.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2002

Prevalence of vertebral deformity and its associations with physical impairment among Japanese women: The Hizen-Oshima Study.

Vertebral fractures are a hallmark of postmenopausal osteoporosis and an important end point in trials of osteoporosis treatment, but the clinical significance of vertebral deformities remains uncertain. We examined the prevalence of vertebral deformity and associations of vertebral deformities and other characteristics with physical functioning among 584 Japanese women ages 40 to 89 years. Lateral spine radiographs were obtained and radiographic vertebral deformities were assessed by quantitative morphometry, defined as vertebral heights more than 3 SD below the normal mean. A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey participants about difficulty in performing selected basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL). Overall, 15% of women had at least one vertebral deformity, and 8% had 2 or more. The prevalence of vertebral deformities increased progressively with age. Half of women ages 80 and over had vertebral deformities. Impaired function was defined as difficulty performing 3 or more ADLs. After adjusting for age, the odds of impaired function were increased by 1.4 times (95% CI: 0.7, 2.9) in women with a single vertebral deformity, and 3.1 times (1.4, 6.8) in those with two or more deformities. Additional adjustment for number of painful joints, number of comorbidities, body mass index, and back pain did not materially alter these findings. In conclusion, women with multiple vertebral deformities had significantly greater impaired function. The association was independent of age, back pain and the number of painful joints, suggesting that deformities may impair function even when back pain is not present.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

Autosomal dominant epilepsy with febrile seizures plus with missense mutations of the (Na+)-channel alpha 1 subunit gene, SCN1A.

Evidence that febrile seizures have a strong genetic predisposition has been well documented. In families of probands with multiple febrile convulsions, an autosomal dominant inheritance with reduced penetrance is suspected. Four candidate loci for febrile seizures have been suggested to date; FEB1 on 8q13-q21, FEB2 on 19p, FEB3 on 2q23-q24, and FEB4 on 5q14-15. A missense mutation was identified in the voltage-gated sodium (Na(+))-channel beta 1 subunit gene, SCN1B at chromosome 19p13.1 in generalized epilepsy with the febrile seizures plus type 1 (GEFS+1) family. Several missense mutations of the (Na(+))-channel alpha 1 subunit (Nav1.1) gene, SCN1A were also identified in GEFS+2 families at chromosome 2q23-q24.3. The aim of this report is precisely to describe the phenotypes of Japanese patients with novel SCN1A mutations and to reevaluate the entity of GEFS+. Four family members over three generations and one isolated (phenotypically sporadic) case with SCN1A mutations were clinically investigated. The common seizure type in these patients was febrile and afebrile generalized tonic-clonic seizures (FS+). In addition to FS+, partial epilepsy phenotypes were suspected in all affected family members and electroencephalographically confirmed in three patients of two families. GEFS+ is genetically and clinically heterogeneous, and associated with generalized epilepsy and partial epilepsy as well. The spectrum of GEFS+ should be expanded to include partial epilepsies and better to be termed autosomal dominant epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (ADEFS+).

Adult↗