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Biomedical subjects

M Matsuo

Publications and source records attributed to M Matsuo.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Early cardiac failure in a child with Becker muscular dystrophy is due to an abnormally low amount of dystrophin transcript lacking exon 13.

Two Japanese brothers with Becker muscular dystrophy were shown by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cDNA sequence analysis to produce a dystrophin gene transcript lacking a single exon: that is, number 13. Despite having the same deletion mutation, the brothers showed clearly different clinical phenotypes: the younger brother developed cardiac failure at the age of nine, while the elder brother was asymptomatic. As alternative splicing was not responsible for this clinical difference, the amount of dystrophin transcript was examined by using reverse transcription semi-nested and parallel PCR. The results showed that the amount of the dystrophin transcript in the younger brother was 20% of that of the elder brother. This finding suggested that lesser amount of dystrophin transcript in the younger brother was responsible for the early onset of cardiac failure. This would represent a novel molecular mechanism for dystrophinopathy.

Cardiac Output, Low↗

Induction of DnaK and GroEL heat shock proteins by fluoroquinolones in Escherichia coli.

Various fluoroquinolones (norfloxacin, enoxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, and sparfloxacin) induce DnaK and GroEL heat shock proteins in Escherichia coli. The induction is transient, consistent with the kinetics of cellular DNA relaxation. The concentrations of fluoroquinolones required for induction are similar to those required for DNA relaxation and much higher than those required for cell death.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

Hypertensive nephropathy and the gene for angiotensin-converting enzyme.

To investigate the genetic determinants for microalbuminuria, we studied an insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene, which influences the plasma ACE level, in 333 consecutive hypertensive patients and 113 normotensive control subjects. The urinary albumin excretion rate was calculated by using a 12-hour urine collection (mean for two consecutive nights from 7 PM to 7 AM) in all 333 hypertensive patients. The ACE D allele frequency did not differ significantly between the hypertensive patients and the normotensive control subjects (0.37 and 0.33, respectively). Among the hypertensive patients, nephropathy (microalbuminuria and albuminuria) was more common (P < .001) in those with the ACE DD genotype than in those with other genotypes. The D allele frequency in the nephropathy group was significantly higher than that in the normoalbuminuric group (0.45 versus 0.32, chi 2 = 10.8, P < .001). These results indicate that ACE I/D polymorphism is a genetic determinant for hypertensive renal disease in hypertensive patients. This polymorphism might be a confounding factor involved in the association between hypertensive nephropathy and cardiovascular events.

Aged↗

Decreased expression of full-length mRNA for cBCD541 does not correlate with spinal muscular atrophy phenotype severity.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is characterized by degeneration of spinal cord anterior horn cells and muscular atrophy and has three phenotypes based on clinical severity and age of onset. One of the responsible genes for SMA is the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene, which is homozygously absent or interrupted in more than 90% of SMA patients. The cBCD541 (BCD) gene is a highly homologous copy of the SMN gene, which has a single synonymous transition in the coding region and may compensate for the loss of the SMN gene. To evaluate the effects of the BCD gene expression on the phenotypes of SMA, we examined lymphocyte mRNA from 9 SMA patients lacking the SMN gene, 10 asymptomatic parents, and 15 control subjects. We amplified mRNA fragments containing exon 7 of the SMN or BCD genes using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction since the transcript lacking exon 7 encodes a putative protein with a different C-terminal end. We used glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) transcript as an internal control, and the relative expression level of the SMN or BCD gene was shown as the ratio of SMN or BCD transcript to GAPDH transcript (S/G ratio). The mean S/G ratios of the patients were significantly lower than that of the parents and controls. However, among the patients examined in this study, there was no relationship between the S/G ratios and phenotypes of SMA. The results showed that the BCD gene expression was not related to the phenotypes of SMA. Furthermore, there was an overlap between the S/G ratios in patients and controls. As our discrimination study showed that the S/G ratio reflected the expression of the BCD transcripts in patients and the SMN transcripts in controls, this finding suggested that the BCD gene expression per se does not compensate for the loss of the SMN gene.

Adolescent↗

Deficiency of syntrophin, dystroglycan, and merosin in a female infant with a congenital muscular dystrophy phenotype lacking cysteine-rich and C-terminal domains of dystrophin.

Primary deficiency of merosin is the cause of the classic form of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) accompanied by brain white matter abnormalities. We report a female infant with dystrophinopathy who was deficient in merosin in skeletal muscle. The patient had a phenotype of typical CMD and white matter abnormalities on brain MRI. Merosin was greatly reduced in the biopsied skeletal muscle. However, the expression of dystroglycan and syntrophin was also greatly reduced, and the immunoreactivity for the antibodies against the cysteine-rich/C-terminal domains of dystrophin was absent in the sarcolemma. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis of the dystrophin gene revealed a complete lack of exons 71 through 74. In skeletal muscle, only the mutant gene was expressed. These results suggest that the patient is a symptomatic Duchenne muscular dystrophy carrier with skewed X-inactivation. This patient illustrates for the first time that a dystrophin abnormality can cause a secondary deficiency of merosin in dystrophinopathy. The reduction of merosin may account for the clinical phenotype of CMD and correlate with the white matter abnormalities in our patient.

Base Sequence↗

Studies on anti-inflammatory agents. V. Synthesis and pharmacological properties of 3-(difluoromethyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5- [4-(methylsulfinyl)phenyl]pyrazole and related compounds.

A series of novel 1,5-diphenylpyrazole derivatives bearing hydrophilic substituents was prepared. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of these compounds were evaluated by using the adjuvant arthritis and Randall-Selitto assays in rats, and the structure-activity relationships were studied. The optimal compound was 3-(difluoromethyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-[4-(methylsulfinyl)phenyl]pyraz ole (10) with oral ED50 values of 0.31 and 2.6 mg/kg on adjuvant-induced arthritis and carrageenin-induced foot edema, respectively. Compound 10 showed analgesic activities not only toward inflamed paw but also toward normal paw (ED30 = 0.55 and 1.8 mg/kg, respectively) in the Randall-Selitto assay, and moreover, 10 was effective in the tail-pinch assay (ED50 = 21 mg/kg) similarly to morphine. The asymmetric synthesis and pharmacological properties of the enantiomers of 10 are also reported.

Animals↗

Studies on anti-inflammatory agents. IV. Synthesis and pharmacological properties of 1,5-diarylpyrazoles and related derivatives.

A series of novel 1,5-diarylpyrazole derivatives was synthesized and tested for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities to develop anti-inflammatory agents with fewer side effects than existing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The structure-activity relationships in this series were extensively studied. Electron-withdrawing substituents such as CN and CF3 were optimal at the 3-position of the pyrazole ring. Replacement of these substituents with bulky ones gave less active compounds. The 4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl group seemed to be the optimal group at the 5-position of the pyrazole ring. The most potent compound was 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-pyrazole-3-carbonitrile (19a), with oral ED50 value of 0.030 and 0.47 mg/kg on adjuvant-induced arthritis and collagen-induced arthritis, respectively, and an ED30 value of 7.4 mg/kg in the yeast-induced hyperalgesia (Randall-Selitto) assay. Compound 19a also showed potent inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2)-inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.24 microM) with no COX-1 inhibition even at 100 microM.

Anilides↗

In vivo antioxidant activity of Okara Koji, a fermented okara, by Aspergillus oryzae.

The antioxidants in Okara Koji (OK), an okara (OC) fermented by Aspergillus oryzae, gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, genistin, daizein, genistein, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid were identified by HPLC. OK's extract with 80% methanol strongly inhibited linoleate peroxidation, much more than other OK's extracts with hexane or hot water. The methanol extract accelerated 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid formation in membrane lipids at 10(-3) concentration, but inhibited the formation at higher concentrations than 10(-3) ex vivo. To confirm the total effect of all components of OK on lipid peroxidation in vivo, rats fed food deficient in vitamin E were put on diets containing OK or OC with oxidized oil. In rats fed the OK diet, no effect of oxidized oil feeding on the body weight gain, of the TBA value in plasma, or of glutathione peroxidase activities of plasma and liver was observed. But in rats fed the OC diet, the effect of oxidized oil feeding was apparently observed on all of those values. These results suggested that OK would scavenge lipid peroxides in vivo.

Animals↗

Antioxidative mechanism and apoptosis induction by 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, an antioxidant in Indonesian food Tempeh, in the human hepatoma-derived cell line, HuH-7.

Recently, a new potent antioxidant was isolated from Tempeh (a traditional fermented soybean food in Indonesia) and was identified as 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (HAA). This study deals with the antioxidant mechanism of HAA under biological systems and the cytokilling function of HAA to human malignant cells. HAA eliminated free radicals and inhibited the formation of fatty acid hydroperoxide in vitro, suggesting that HAA would serve as an antioxidant in the initial reaction in lipid oxidation systems. Actually, HAA inhibited the formation of the dominant product of membrane lipids, 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) at a high concentration, while HAA accelerated 12-HETE formation at a low concentration in mammalian tissue. HAA oxidized glutathione and inhibited superoxide dismutase in vitro. Furthermore, HAA inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis to HuH-7, a human hepatoma-derived cell line. As long as HAA is taken as a component of Tempeh, and not in large doses as a chemical, it may possibly act as a prooxidant rather than an antioxidant in vivo.

12-Hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic Acid↗

[Neuroimagings in neuronal migration disorders].

Recent progress in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has successfully visualized neuronal migration disorders (NMDs) without autopsy. NMDs are observed in the patients with hydranencephaly, porencephaly, cerebellar hypoplasia, agenesis of corpus callosum, agenesis of septum pellucidum and holoprocencephaly. Miller-Dieker syndrome, Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy, Walker-Warburg syndrome, hypomelanosis of Ito, congenital rubella syndrome, toxoplasmosis, Zellweger syndrome and other diseases are also associated with lissencephaly, pachygyria and polymicrogyria. Neuroimagings of illustrative cases with NMDs were shown here.

Adolescent↗

Renal parenchymal malakoplakia in a four-week-old infant.

We describe a four-week-old male infant with bilateral renal parenchymal malakoplakia who presented with low grade fever, convulsions and lethargy. The patient had profound anemia, hepatosplenomegaly and bilateral nephromegaly with reduced renal function. Both blood and urine cultures grew Escherichia coli, and antibiotic therapy was started. A kidney biopsy obtained on the 20th hospital day confirmed the diagnosis of renal parenchymal malakoplakia. Following treatment with an intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy, the infant made significant clinical improvement. He has grown and developed normally in the three years following this episode. We suggest that the steroid therapy was useful in ameliorating renal parenchymal malakoplakia in a patient without an underlying systemic disease. This report describes the youngest patient to have malakoplakia.

Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary↗

[Molecular genetics and problems found in genetic diagnosis of Duchenne Becker muscular dystrophy].

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DMD and BMD, respectively) are the most common inherited muscular diseases and caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Half to two-thirds of DMD and BMD patients carry deletions (usually of several kilobases of genomic DNA). The clinical progression in DMD and BMD patients with deletions can be predicted in 92% of cases based on whether the deletion maintains or disrupts the translational reading frame (frame-shift hypothesis). However, some exceptional cases have been reported; BMD cases whose dystrophin gene exons 3 to 7 were deleted (out-of-frame), more severe case whose dystrophin gene deletion maintains reading frame but includes N-terminal region, and so on. Splicing mutation is one kind of mutations of dystrophin gene, and usually induced by small mutation of exon-intron boundary sequence. However, intraexonal small mutation also induces exon skipping, due to disruption of exon recognition sequence, which is intraexonal sequence and necessary for splicing of the upstream intron. For molecular diagnosis of DMD/BMD it is important to analyze not only in genomic DNA level, but also in mRNA, protein, and clinical levels. And the relationship between molecular abnormality and clinical phenotype should be examined, especially when extramuscular symptoms (heart failure and mental retardation) are prominent.

Alternative Splicing↗

Concentration of levofloxacin in cervical mucus and its clinical effects on cervicitis.

An investigation was made on the concentration of levofloxacin (LVFX) in cervical mucus and its clinical effects on cervicitis. The results were as follows: 1) The concentrations of orally administered LVFX in the cervical mucus of 110 subjects were determined by HPLC. During 1-4 hour after the administration the mean concentration of LVFX in the cervical mucus reached a level of 2 micrograms/g, which was higher than the serum level. The transfer of LVFX to the cervical mucus was almost the same as that to other genital organs. 2) When LVFX was given to 102 patients at a dose of 100-200 mg, t.i.d for 4-5 days and the efficacy was evaluated with clinical improvement, the clinical efficacy rate of LVFX was 72/102 (70.6%). Significant bacteriological effects were observed in 70/73 (95.9%), especially, the disappearance rate of C. trachomatis was 18/18 (100%). 3) The administration LVFX did not cause any subjective or objective side effects and any abnormalities were not detected in the laboratory test done in this study. These results demonstrate that LVFX can be sufficiently transferred to the cervical mucus for the treatment of cervicitis due to the infection of C. trachomatis etc.

Adult↗

Cloning and expression of the cDNA for mouse NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase.

The cDNA for mouse NAD+ dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) was isolated from a lung cDNA library. The cDNA contains a 798 bp open reading frame that codes for a protein of 266 amino acids (M(r) 28775) which shares 87% identity with the human 15-PGDH protein. The regions that are believed to form the NAD+ binding site and the active site are conserved in the mouse and human enzymes. The authenticity of the mouse cDNA was confirmed by expression of an active 15-PGDH in Escherichia coli. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that 15-PGDH mRNA is expressed primarily in lung, intestine, stomach and liver.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Japanese cases of type 1 thanatophoric dysplasia exclusively carry a C to T transition at nucleotide 742 of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene.

Type I thanatophoric dysplasia (TD) is typically a lethal neonatal dwarfism, but a limited number of cases of type I TD cases survive more than one year, suggesting genetic heterogeneity. In this study, we analyzed the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene in 5 Japanese cases of type I TD with clinical symptoms ranging from lethal to long-survival. In every case, nucleotide sequence analysis of cDNA revealed a C to T transition at nucleotide 742 (C742T) in one allele of the FGFR3 gene, suggesting that type I TD is a rather homogeneous genetic condition, irrespective of clinical course. No association was found between C742T and C882T, although both nucleotides changes were from CpG dinucleotide in a near location.

Cell Line↗

Induction of exon skipping of the dystrophin transcript in lymphoblastoid cells by transfecting an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide complementary to an exon recognition sequence.

In this paper we first report that exon skipping from the dystrophin gene transcript could be induced in living cells by an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) complementary to an exon recognition sequence (ERS). Incubation of lymphoblastoid cells with an antisense ODN against the purine-rich region of dystrophin exon 19 resulted in skipping of the exon from the dystrophin transcript. Skipping of exon 19 started to appear after 6 hours of incubation, and complete skipping was observed after 24 hours of incubation. None of the other 78 dystrophin exons were skipped, and exon 19 skipping could be induced by the sense ODN or by an antisense ODN corresponding to another ERS. These results showed that antisense ODN against ERS can induce exon skipping even in living cells and ERS is functioning as an essential cis-element for proper splicing in dystrophin pre-mRNA.

Alternative Splicing↗