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Biomedical subjects

M Maeda

Publications and source records attributed to M Maeda.

At least 685 records · Page 38Linked to original sources

A prospective study on hepatocellular carcinoma in liver cirrhosis: respective roles of alcohol and hepatitis C virus infection.

To assess the interaction of alcohol and HCV infection in hepatocarcinogenesis, we prospectively studied 447 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) who presented to our out-patient clinics in a month; 163 patients with habitual drinking (AL-LC) who had taken more than 72 g alcohol per day (HCV positive 79 cases: HCV+AL; HCV negative 84 cases: AL); 176 with HCV infection but without alcohol intake; 39 with HB infection; and 82 with liver disease from other etiologies such as primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). In the HCV group, HCC developed in 15 patients in the first year and 10 in the second year; the cumulative appearance rate was 11% and 16%, respectively. There was no difference in the HCC appearance rate between the two groups. In the AL group, the cumulative HCC occurrence rate was only 2% in the first year, and 2% in the second year. The appearance rate was significantly lower in the AL group compared with the HCV and the HCV+AL groups. One-hundred and fourteen patients (94 with HCV, 20 with HCV+AL) who had a history of blood transfusion more than 10 years ago were selected. A year-adjusted disease occurrence rate calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method showed that the HCV+AL group had a significantly higher disease occurrence rate than the HCV group. Theses results suggest that although alcohol alone does not become an independent risk factor for HCC from LC, it may accelerate the development of HCC caused by HCV, at least in the group with a history of blood transfusion.

Aged↗

Simultaneous determination of bile acids in rat bile and serum by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A method for the simultaneous determination of bile acids in rat bile and serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with a post-column enzymic reaction and fluorescence detection has been developed. Without prior fractionation and alkaline hydrolysis, 26 unconjugated, glycine- and taurine-conjugated bile acids were determined. They were separated on a reversed-phase column using a linear gradient solvent system of 200 mM dibasic ammonium phosphate buffer (pH 7.9)-acetonitrile-methanol (73:19:8, v/v/v) and 20 mM dibasic ammonium phosphate buffer (pH 7.9)-acetonitrile-methanol (2:1:2, v/v/v). The limits of detection were 1-5 pmol, and calibration curves were linear for concentrations between 10 and 4000 pmol. This rapid and reliable method is effective for measuring bile acid levels in the bile and serum not only of rats but also of patients with hepatobiliary and other diseases.

Animals↗

Gastric DNA-binding proteins recognize upstream sequence motifs of parietal cell-specific genes.

Polymerase chain reaction amplification of cDNA from pig gastric mucosa demonstrated the presence of zinc-finger proteins called GATA-GT1, GATA-GT2, and GATA-GT3, each having zinc-finger sequences similar to previously characterized GATA-binding proteins. Subsequently, full-length cDNAs of GATA-GT1 and GATA-GT2 were obtained from rat stomach. The zinc-finger domains of GATA-GT1 and -GT2 were 66-86% identical on the amino acid level with each other and with other GATA-binding proteins. Potential protein kinase phosphorylation sites were present in the zinc-finger region. In contrast, regions outside the zinc fingers shared significantly lower similarities. GATA-GT2 was found to bind to the upstream sequence of the H+/K(+)-ATPase beta gene and to a sequence containing the GATA motif. GATA-GT1 and -GT2 were expressed predominantly in the gastric mucosa and at much lower levels in the intestine (GATA-GT2, also in testis), their tissue distributions being distinct from those of GATA-1, -2, or -3. These results clearly suggest that GATA-GT1 and GATA-GT2 are involved in gene regulation specifically in the gastric epithelium and represent two additional members of the GATA-binding protein family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A distinct type of sialyl Lewis X antigen defined by a novel monoclonal antibody is selectively expressed on helper memory T cells.

A subset of human helper memory T cells is known to adhere to E-selectin expressed on cytokine-activated endothelial cells. However, sialyl Lex antigen, the carbohydrate ligand for E-selectin, has been hardly detectable on these cells, at least when typical anti-sialyl Lex antibodies were used for detection. One of the MoAbs (2F3, IgM), which we raised against a chemically synthesized sialyl Lex glycolipid preparation, is found to react selectively to CD4+ CD45RObright+ CD45RA- helper memory T cells among peripheral lymphocytes in healthy individuals. The specificity of the antibody is in clear contrast to that of the hitherto reported typical anti-sialyl Lex antibodies FH-6 and SNH-3. These classical anti-sialyl Lex antibodies were known to react to a subset of natural killer (NK) cells, but were not reactive with any particular subset of resting peripheral T or B cells of healthy individuals if the cells were not activated. On the other hand, the newly generated 2F3 antibody specifically reacted to helper memory T cells, and did not react to NK cells, B cells, or any T cells other than helper memory T cells. When tested against the sialyl Lex-active glycolipid antigen, the reactivity of 2F3 was not significantly different from that of the classical anti-sialyl Lex antibodies. But when tested against oligosaccharides prepared from cellular glycoproteins, 2F3 detected a distinct set of O-linked oligosaccharides, which were not reactive to the classical anti-sialyl Lex antibodies. Our results suggest that various molecular species of sialyl Lex antigens are present on carbohydrate side chains of cellular glycoproteins, and that helper memory T cells express a distinct type of sialyl Lex antigen that is defined by 2F3 but is not efficiently detected by other typical anti-sialyl Lex antibodies. Among cultured lymphocytic leukemia cells, the adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells preferentially expressed the 2F3-defined antigen, and acute lymphocytic leukemia cells rarely expressed the antigen. The cultured ATL cells expressing the 2F3-defined antigen showed a clear E-selectin-dependent adhesion to cytokin-activated endothelial cells, and the 2F3-defined sialyl Lex antigen served as a ligand for E-selectin as ascertained by the clear inhibition of adhesion with the 2F3 antibody.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Effects of electrical stimulation of motor and cutaneous nerves on spinal cord blood flow.

The effects of electrical stimulation of the motor and cutaneous branch of the radial nerve on spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) in the cervical region and the correlation between the changes in SCBF and the amplitudes of spinal cord evoked potentials were investigated in cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose. When measured by the hydrogen clearance technique, with stimuli of the cutaneous branch, the SCBF significantly (P < 0.01) increased from 37 +/- 8 (mean +/- SD) to 59 +/- 27 ml.100 g-1.min-1 at 10 Hz and from 39 +/- 6 to 54 +/- 9 ml.100 g-1.min-1 at 30 Hz, but stimulation of the motor branch had no effect. When measured by laser Doppler flowmetry, stimulation of the motor branch caused a small, transient, and significant increase in SCBF ending within 2 minutes. Stimulation of the cutaneous branch produced a large, prolonged, and significant increase in SCBF. The increase in SCBF produced by stimulation of the cutaneous nerve was significantly greater than that by stimulation of the motor branch. The SCBF was correlated linearly with the amplitude of the spinal cord evoked potential (r = 0.504; P < 0.01). The increase in SCBF caused by radial nerve stimulation may arise from changes in neuronal metabolism via peripheral nerve activation.

Animals↗

WT-1 is required for early kidney development.

In humans, germline mutations of the WT-1 tumor suppressor gene are associated with both Wilms' tumors and urogenital malformations. To develop a model system for the molecular analysis of urogenital development, we introduced a mutation into the murine WT-1 tumor suppressor gene by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. The mutation resulted in embryonic lethality in homozygotes, and examination of mutant embryos revealed a failure of kidney and gonad development. Specifically, at day 11 of gestation, the cells of the metanephric blastema underwent apoptosis, the ureteric bud failed to grow out from the Wolffian duct, and the inductive events that lead to formation of the metanephric kidney did not occur. In addition, the mutation caused abnormal development of the mesothelium, heart, and lungs. Our results establish a crucial role for WT-1 in early urogenital development.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Expression and localization of dystrophin in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes.

We examined the expression and localization of dystrophin in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry using an antidystrophin antibody. Western blot analysis showed a single band with a molecular weight of about 400 kd. Immunohistochemical staining also detected dystrophin in cultured cardiac myocytes, and it was found primarily around the nucleus on day 2 of culture, the area and degree of staining increased on days 4 and 7, and most cells were stained almost entirely on day 14. We conclude that dystrophin also is expressed in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, and that it increases with time, and extends from the perinuclear area to the whole cell.

Animals↗

p21X mRNA is expressed as a singly spliced pX transcript from defective provirus genomes having a partial deletion of the pol-env region in human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-infected cells.

In addition to the three typical transcripts such as genomic/gag-pol mRNA, env mRNA and tax/rex mRNA, we previously found the singly spliced pX mRNA, termed p21X mRNA, responsible for producing the p21X protein in human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-infected cells. Our finding of the p21X mRNA being constitutively expressed in the fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with ATL has suggested that the expression mechanism is quite different from that of the others. In this paper, the expression mechanism of p21X mRNA was investigated by analyzing the organization of the proviral genomes present in the representative HTLV-1-infected cell lines which are positive or negative for the expression of p21X mRNA. Southern and PCR analyses show that most of the analyzed cell lines contain both one complete and one defective genome each. However, one cell line without the p21X mRNA expression, C91/PL, contains only the complete genome, suggesting that the complete HTLV-1 has no ability to express p21X mRNA in spite of having the ability to produce the infectious virus. The defective genomes of the p21X mRNA positive cell lines, MT-2 and H582, have a large deletion of the entire pol and parts of the gag and env regions including the common domain of the second exon of the doubly spliced tax/rex mRNA, while another defective genome of the p21X mRNA negative cell line, MT-1, has a deletion within the gag-pol gene. We show that these defective genomes have the ability to express their distinct, defective genomic mRNA, suggesting they are active. The defective genomic mRNAs in MT-2 and H582 cells retain the first splice donor and the second splice acceptor sites, suggesting the possibility of synthesizing p21X mRNA by splicing singly with these sites. These findings assume that defective HTLV-1 genomes deleting the second exon region acquire the ability to express p21X mRNA but no ability to express tax/rex mRNA. Such a deletion may explain the difference between the expression mechanisms in the p21X mRNA transcript and those in the other viral transcripts.

Base Sequence↗

Antitumor activity and tissue distribution of bis(bilato)-1,2-cyclohexanediammineplatinum(II) complexes in BDF1 mice with murine reticulum cell sarcoma (M5076).

Murine reticulum cell sarcoma (M5076) was subcutaneously implanted into BDF1 mice and then the antitumor activity of seven micelle-forming type platinum complexes was tested. The antitumor activity of bis(hyodeoxycholato)-trans-(+/-)-1,2-cyclohexanediammineplatinu m(II)(t-DACHP (hyo)2) was highest (95% inhibition of growth), and it was dose dependent with a large therapeutic index. This was followed by bis-(chenodeoxycholato)-trans(+/-)(cis)-1, 2-cyclohexanediammineplatinum(II)(t(c)-DACHP-(cheno)2) (49% inhibition) and bis(ursodeoxy-cholato)-trans(+/-)-1,2-cyclohexanediammine platinum (II) (t-DACHP(urso)2) (48% inhibition). t-DACHP(hyo)2 and t-DACHP(urso)2 inhibited sarcoma 180 growth (63% and 33%, respectively). The organ distribution of the complex with the highest antitumor activity was compared with that of a complex with negligible antitumor activity. The total Pt levels were significantly higher in tumor tissue from mice given the more active complex than in tumor tissue from mice given the less active complex. Pt levels in the kidney and the spleen showed a similar pattern, but the lung tissue Pt levels were significantly higher in mice given the less active complex.

Animals↗

Purification and molecular cloning of mouse renal dipeptidase.

Mouse renal dipeptidase (mouseRDP, EC 3.4.13.11) was purified from the membrane fraction of kidney. The molecular mass of the enzyme was 115 kDa by size-exclusion HPLC and SDS-PAGE under non-reduced conditions and 58 kDa by SDS-PAGE under reduced conditions. The mouseRDP cDNA fragment was amplified from mouse kidney total RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase ŏffin reaction (RT-PCR). The mouseRDP cDNA was isolated from a kidney cDNA library using the probe. The primary structure of mouseRDP deduced from the cDNA showed a high homology with renal dipeptidase from various mammals, except for the amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal domains. Recombinant mouseRDP obtained from transfected mouse L929 cells containing the expression plasmids has the same Km value and molecular mass as native mouse renal dipeptidase. From Northern blotting analysis, expression of the mouseRDP gene was recognized in both kidney and liver.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The atp2 operon of the green bacterium Chlorobium limicola.

The operon (atp2) encoding the beta and epsilon subunits of F-ATPase from Chlorobium limicola was cloned and sequenced. In contrast with purple bacteria these genes are arranged in a separate operon similar to the cyanobacteria. The operon terminates with a pronounced stem-loop structure. About 0.8 kb upstream of the beta subunit a gene encoding the enzyme phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinase was identified. This gene is transcribed in the opposite direction of the atp2 operon and also ends with a stem-loop structure. These genes of green bacteria are among the first to be sequenced, and therefore the genetic distance between these genes and corresponding genes from other bacteria and eukaryotes was studied. Even though the operon structure resembles that of cyanobacteria, the evolutionary tree compiled from these data places the chlorobium gene close to purple bacteria. Chlorobium limicola beta and epsilon subunits complemented Escherichia coli mutants defective in the corresponding subunits, indicating that the hybrid enzyme formed from subunits of the two bacteria is active in ATP synthesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Molecular cloning of cDNA for vacuolar membrane proton-translocating inorganic pyrophosphatase in Hordeum vulgare.

We obtained a cDNA clone(PP10) for the vacuolar membrane proton-translocating inorganic pyrophosphatase from barley roots by immunoscreening. The nucleotide sequence contained a 2308 bp open reading frame capable of coding for a polypeptide with 761 amino acids (M(r) 79,841). The polypeptide is highly hydrophobic and 12 membrane-spanning regions are deduced from the hydropathic evaluation. The characteristic cluster of the basic and acidic residues is observed in the hydrophilic segment. A consensus sequence with the dicyclohexyl-carbodiimide binding subunits of FOF1-type and vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase is also observed in the membrane-spanning domain 5. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with that of pyrophosphatase cDNA from Arabidopsis thaliana revealed 85.8% homology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Domains near ATP gamma phosphate in the catalytic site of H+-ATPase. Model proposed from mutagenesis and inhibitor studies.

The beta Gly-149 residue is in a glycine-rich sequence (Gly-Gly-Ala-Gly-Val-Gly-Lys-Thr; residues 149-156) of the Escherichia coli H(+)-ATPase (ATP synthase) beta subunit. Substitution of beta Gly-149 by Ser suppressed the effect of the beta Ser-174-->Phe mutation (Iwamoto, A., Omote, H., Hanada, H., Tomioka, N., Itai, A., Maeda, M., and Futai, M. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 16350-16355), suggesting that beta Gly-149 is located near beta Ser-174. In this study, we introduced different residues at position 149 and found that a single mutant beta Cys-149 was defective. The effect of beta Cys-149 mutation was suppressed by beta Gly-172-->Glu, beta Ser-174-->Phe, beta Glu-192-->Val, or beta Val-198-->Ala replacement. These results suggest that beta Gly-149, beta Gly-172, beta Ser-174, beta Glu-192, and beta Val-198 residues are located close together in the catalytic site. From these findings we propose a model of the catalytic site of the enzyme near the gamma phosphate moiety of ATP. F1 enzymes with the double mutations beta Cys-149/beta Glu-172, beta Cys-149/beta Phe-174, beta Cys-149/beta Val-192, and beta Cys-149/beta Ala-198 were less sensitive than wild-type F1 to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and adenosine triphosphopyridoxal (an affinity analogue of ATP forming a Schiff base with the epsilon-amino group of beta Lys-155 or beta Lys-201), and became sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide in an ATP-protected manner. These results of inhibitor studies are consistent with the proposed model.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Characterization of human autoantibodies reactive to gastric parietal cells.

Human sera from autoimmune gastritis patients containing autoantibodies to gastric parietal cells were analyzed by immunological methods. Enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay demonstrated that all nine sera reacted with pig gastric vesicles enriched in H+/K(+)-ATPase (gastric proton pump). Immunoblotting experiments indicated that the alpha subunit of the H+/K(+)-ATPase was the major antigen in the vesicles with two of the sera reacting strongly. We further characterized the specificity of the antibodies using partial sequences of the pig alpha subunit fused with truncated TrpE (anthranilate synthase). The antibodies from autoimmune gastritis patients reacted differently to the two fusion proteins (Met-1 to Ala-79, and Arg-606 to Ile-964), indicating that each patient sera contains a mixture of autoantibodies recognizing different epitopes with variable contents.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The gamma subunit of the Escherichia coli ATP synthase. Mutations in the carboxyl-terminal region restore energy coupling to the amino-terminal mutant gamma Met-23-->Lys.

The gamma subunit mutations, gamma Met-23-->Lys or Arg, in the Escherichia coli ATP synthase were previously reported to cause dramatically inefficient energy coupling between ATPase catalysis and H+ translocation (Shin, K., Nakamoto, R.K., Maeda, M., and Futai, M. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 20835-20839). In this paper, we report that second-site mutations in the gamma subunit can suppress the effects of gamma Met-23-->Lys. By screening randomly mutagenized uncG (gamma Met-23-->Lys), eight mutations in the carboxyl-terminal region were identified; strains carrying gamma Arg-242-->Cys, gamma Gln-269-->Arg, gamma Ala-270-->Val, gamma Ile-272-->Thr, gamma Thr-273-->Ser, gamma Glu-278-->Gly, gamma Ile-279-->Thr, or gamma Val-280-->Ala in combination with gamma Met-23-->Lys were able to grow by oxidative phosphorylation. H+ pumping assayed in membranes prepared from double mutation strains demonstrated that efficient ATP-dependent H+ transport was restored. Interestingly, the single mutations, gamma Gln-269-->Arg or gamma Thr-273-->Ser, caused reduced growth by oxidative phosphorylation; however, when these mutations were in combination with gamma Met-23-->Lys, growth was substantially increased. Furthermore, strains carrying gamma Met-23-->Lys, gamma Gln-269-->Arg, or gamma Thr-273-->Ser as single mutations were temperature sensitive, whereas, strains with the double mutations, gamma Met-23-->Lys/gamma Gln-269-->Arg or gamma Met-23-->Lys/gamma Thr-273-->Ser, were thermally stable. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that gamma Met-23, gamma Arg-242, and the region between gamma Gln-269 to gamma Val-280 are close to each other and interact to mediate efficient energy coupling.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Change of the higher order structure of DNA induced by the complexation with intercalating synthetic polymer, as is visualized by fluorescence microscopy.

The electrophoretic movement and Brownian motion of T4DNA, lambda DNA and their complexes with polyacrylamide (PAAm) via intercalative unit from 5-[(4-acryloylamino)phenyl]-3-amino-7-(dimethylamino)-2-methylp henazinium chloride were observed using fluorescence microscopy. It was found that T4DNA/PAAm complex migrates slower than T4DNA alone in gel electrophoresis, although they exhibit similar conformational change during the migration. Quantitative analyses of the translational diffusion of the lambda DNA and its complex in solution demonstrate that the DNA molecules extend due to intercalative binding of PAAm, suggesting the pseudo-grafting structure of the complex.

Acrylic Resins↗