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Biomedical subjects

M Miyake

Publications and source records attributed to M Miyake.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

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↗

Improvement in CNS protective treatment in non-high-risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: report from the Japanese Children's Cancer and Leukemia Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Prevention of central nervous system (CNS) leukemia by early introduction of therapy to this sanctuary site is an essential component of modern treatment strategy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, the optimal form of preventive CNS therapy remains debatable. PROCEDURE: To address this issue, we evaluated the efficacy of CNS preventive therapy for 572 children with ALL who achieved complete remission in the Children's Cancer and Leukemia Study Group (CCLSG) ALL874 (1987-1990) and ALL911 (1991-1993) studies. They received risk-directed therapy based on age and leukocyte count. In the ALL 874 study, the non-high-risk (low-risk [LR] + intermediate risk [IR]) patients were randomly assigned to the conventional cranial irradiation (CRT) regimen (L874A and I874A) and the high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) regimen without CRT (L874B and I874B). The former patients received 18-Gy CRT plus 3 doses of intrathecal (i.t.) MTX and the latter patients received 3 courses of HDMTX at 2 g/m2 plus 13 doses of ITMTX (L874B) or 4 courses of HDMTX at 4.5 g/m2 plus 1 dose of ITMTX (I874B). RESULTS: The 7-year probabilities (+/- SE) of CNS relapse-free survival were 97.3% +/- 2.6% (L874A, n = 41) vs. 90.3% +/- 5.3% (L874B, n = 39) (P = 0.25) in the LR patients, and 100% (I874A, n = 55) vs. 78.5% +/- 6.5% (I874B, n = 54) (P = 0.002) in the IR patients. The corresponding disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 79.4% +/- 6.5% vs. 74.4% +/- 7.3% (P = 0.62) in the LR group and 63.3% +/- 6.8% vs. 58.3% +/- 7.2% (P = 0.66) in the IR group. Thus, the HDMTX regimen could not provide better protection of CNS relapse as compared with the CRT regimen, although their overall efficacy was not significantly different. In the ALL 911 study, intensive systemic chemotherapy with extended i,t, injections of MTX plus cytarabine achieved a high CNS relapse-free survival (98% +/- 1.9% at 7 years) and a favorable DFS (85.5% +/- 5% at 7 years) in the IR patients. The patients in the high-risk (HR) group in both ALL874 and ALL911 studies received the 18-Gy or 24-Gy CRT with intensive systemic chemotherapy. Their 7-year probabilities of CNS relapse-free survival ranged from 88% to 95%, among which the T-ALL patients had a risk of CNS leukemia, which was 3-4 times higher compared with B-precursor ALL patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that long-term intrathecal CNS prophylaxis as well as appropriate systemic therapy for the non-high-risk patients can provide protection against CNS relapse equivalent to that provided by cranial irradiation.

Adolescent↗

Correlation of chromosome abnormalities with presence or absence of WT1 deletions/mutations in Wilms tumor.

Of 40 Wilms tumors with chromosome abnormalities, 6 were hypodiploid, 10 were pseudodiploid, 7 were hyperdiploid with 47 to 49 chromosomes, and 17 were hyperdiploid with 50 or more chromosomes, mostly including +12. WT1 deletions/mutations were found in one hypodiploid, eight pseudodiploid, and one hyperdiploid (47-49 chromosomes) tumor, but in none of the hyperdiploid (> or =50 chromosomes) tumors. Of the 10 tumors with WT1 abnormalities, 6 had a homozygous WT1 deletion, 1 had a nonsense WT1 mutation and loss of heterozygosity at 11p, 1 had an intragenic hemizygous WT1 deletion without detectable WT1 mutation, and 2, which occurred in Wilms tumor-aniridia-genitourinary abnormalities-mental retardation syndrome patients, had a hemizygous deletion and a missense or frameshift mutation of WT1. Six of the nine tumors with homozygous or hemizygous WT1 deletions had chromosome aberrations involving chromosome band 11p13 in one of the two chromosomes 11. While one hypodiploid and one pseudodiploid patient died of the disease, and one hyperdiploid (47-49 chromosomes) patient was alive in nonremission, all hyperdiploid (> or =50 chromosomes) patients had no evidence of disease at the last follow-up. Our data show that chromosome aberrations are closely correlated to WT1 abnormalities and suggest that hyperdiploid (> or =50 chromosomes) Wilms tumors may be characterized by the absence of WT1 abnormalities and possibly also by a favorable prognosis.

Aneuploidy↗

Immunolocalization of anti-agglutinin for spermatozoa in boars.

A boar "anti-agglutinin," which inhibits head-to-head agglutination of spermatozoa, has been identified as a 25-kDa sialoprotein contained in epididymal and seminal plasma. This study was conducted to determine the location of the anti-agglutinin on spermatozoa and in various organs, including epididymides, by indirect immunofluorescence and Western blotting techniques. Ejaculated boar spermatozoa were washed and subjected to immunocytochemical observation. Epididymal plasma was recovered from three different regions of epididymides and subjected to sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and Western blotting. Twelve kinds of organs (testis, epididymis, seminal vesicle, prostate, heart, liver, kidney, spleen, stomach, small intestine, lung, and muscle) were recovered from boars. The unilateral epididymides were fixed, cut into 10-microm frozen sections, and subjected to immunohistochemical observation. The other organs were homogenized and used for SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Immunocytochemical observations revealed that the antiserum strongly recognized the acrosomal region and equatorial segment on unfixed and methanol-fixed spermatozoa. Immunohistochemical observations revealed that the epithelia of the epididymal ducts were recognized by the antiserum mainly in the corpus epididymides. Moreover, the antiserum reacted with the luminal contents of the corpus and cauda epididymides. However, no specific reaction was detected in the caput epididymides. Western blotting showed that the antiserum selectively recognized a band of the anti-agglutinin in the corpus and cauda epididymal plasma, although no band was detected in the caput epididymal plasma. In the extracts from various organs, the single band was detected in the corpus and cauda epididymides at the same mobility as the anti-agglutinin, but not in the other organs. Based on these results, the following matters concerning the anti-agglutinin are discussed: (1) the importance of its association with the acrosome of spermatozoa in inhibiting sperm head-to-head agglutination; (2) its origin in the epididymis; and (3) its tissue specificity.

Animals↗

Simultaneous measurement of NO(*) and PO(2) from tissue by in vivo EPR.

We describe a technique that utilizes electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to measure NO(*) and pO(2) directly, and non-invasively, from tissue in vivo. Diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC) was injected with iron so as to complex with NO(*) in the tissue. Gloxy (an oxygen-sensitive, paramagnetic material) was also implanted into the tissue of interest (brain or liver). Because the signals arising from gloxy and NO-Fe-(DETC)(2) did not overlap, they could be monitored and measured simultaneously in vivo. The gloxy was not responsive to NO(*) and/or DETC. As model systems we either injected SNP (an NO(*) donor) into animals and monitored NO(*) and pO(2) simultaneously from brain, or endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) was injected in order to induce a septic episode and NO(*) and pO(2) measured from liver. We found a close correlation between levels of SNP-derived NO(*) and brain pO(2) in vivo. During sepsis, liver pO(2) decreased dramatically at 300-360 min after endotoxin injection, and this coincided with decreases in mean arterial blood pressure and increased tissue NO(*) detected. These studies demonstrate the potential usefulness of this technique for making direct in vivo measurements of NO(*) and pO(2) simultaneously from tissue.

Animals↗

Easy detection of tumor in oncologic whole-body PET by projection reconstruction images with maximum intensity projection algorithm.

Whole-body PET scanning for an oncology study produces a large number of transaxial images by data acquisition over multiple bed positions. The sagittal and coronal reformatted images are often used for better understanding of radioisotope distribution. We reduced the number of PET images by calculating projection images and evaluated the merit of additional data processing for the visualization and detection of tumors. After reconstructing whole-body 18F-FDG PET images (6-8 bed positions) of eight cancer patients, antero-posterior and lateral projection images were calculated by the maximum intensity projection (MIP) algorithm, the standard deviation projection (SD) algorithm and the summed voxel projection (SUM) algorithm. The projection images were compared with 2D whole-body images for visualizing foci. The focal uptakes of various positions in original whole-body PET data (294-392 transaxial images) were visualized on only two MIP reformatted images when superimposition of hot spots did not occur. Even if one hot spot was superimposed over the other hot spot, we could recognize the existence of at least one focus and determine the true positions of the hot spots from corresponding transaxial images. The SD image was found inferior for showing a contrast of small foci to the corresponding MIP images in the neck, mediastinum and abdomen. The SUM image failed to visualize many metastatic lesions. MIP is a promising technique for the easy preliminary assessment of tumor distribution in oncologic whole-body PET study.

Algorithms↗

Overexpression of bax associated with mutations in the loop-sheet-helix motif of p53.

Recent investigations have revealed that mutations of the loop-sheet-helix motif of p53 is a significant factor for a poor prognosis in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To clarify this mechanism, bcl-2 and bax expression were evaluated in relation to mutations of p53. Tumor tissues of 203 patients with NSCLC were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate bcl-2 and bax expression, and polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism following direct sequencing was performed to investigate p53 status. A total of 79 carcinomas were bcl-2 positive, 146 carcinomas were bax positive, and 72 carcinomas had missense mutations of p53. There was no difference in bcl-2 expression in relation to p53 status. On the other hand, tumors with structural mutations of p53 had significantly lower expression of bax than those with wild-type p53 (P = 0.0026). In contrast, tumors with mutations of the loop-sheet-helix motif of p53 had significantly higher expression of bax than those with wild-type p53 (P = 0.0236). The frequency of a bcl-2/bax ratio of >/=1 was significantly lower in tumors with mutations of the loop-sheet-helix motif than that in tumors with wild-type p53 (P = 0.0240). The bcl-2/bax ratio status was a significant factor for a prognosis in patients with NSCLC (P = 0.0083). Mutations of the loop-sheet-helix motif of p53 were correlated with overexpression of bax, while other mutations of p53 were correlated with low levels of bax expression. This variation in pattern of bax expression in relation to mutant p53 might reflect the biological behavior of tumors in patients with bcl-2-positive NSCLC.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Production of lysophosphatidic acid by lysophospholipase D in incubated plasma of spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar Kyoto rats.

Lysophosphatidic acid has been identified as a vasopressor principle in incubated mammalian plasma and sera, and shown to be generated extracellulary by lysophospholipase D-like activity. In this study, we monitored the time course of changes in the major phospholipid fractions during incubation of plasma, and found that polyunsaturated lysophosphatidic acids accumulate more rapidly than saturated lysophosphatidic acids at expense of the corresponding lysophosphatidylcholines. We compared the phospholipase activities for producing bioactive LPA in age-matched spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar Kyoto rats. The lysophospholipase D activity in rat plasma was found to be independent of strain and age. We suggest that lysophospholipase D functions in rat for persistent production of bioactive LPA in the circulation throughout life. However, our finding that production of LPA in spontaneously hypertensive rats was not greater than that in Wistar Kyoto rats does not seem to support the idea that increased production of LPA is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension.

Aging↗

Detection of bikunin mRNA in limited portions of rat brain.

Tissue distribution of bikunin mRNA, which encodes a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor of the inter-alpha-inhibitor family (IalphaI), was studied in rats and mice by the reverse-transcripsion polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We found that the liver as well as other tissues, such as the kidney, testis and adrenal gland, expressed bikunin mRNA. Although signals of bikunin mRNA were faint in the whole brain of rats and mice, distinct signals were found in limited portions of rat brain, such as the hippocampus, cerebral cortex and pituitary, but undetectable in cerebellum, medulla oblongata, hypothalamus, striatum, midbrain and choroid plexus. In three distinct types of cells, such as neurons, astrocytes and meningeal cells, in primary cultures isolated from the cerebral cortex and meninges of 1-day-old newborn rats, only neurons positively expressed bikunin mRNA. These results suggest that, in addition to peripheral tissues, neurons in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex produce bikunin, suggesting a potential role of bikunin/IalphaI family in these brain regions.

Animals↗

Impaired learning and memory in OLETF rats without cholecystokinin (CCK)-A receptor.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is one of the most abundant neurotransmitter peptides in the brain. As OLETF rats lack CCK-A receptor because of a genetic abnormality, we examined whether learning and memory were impaired in these animals using an elevated eight-arm radial maze. After the completion of a radial maze study, the animals were sacrificed for histological examination of the brain. In some animals, long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus was measured. In the radial maze, the level of activity (seconds/entry) and the time remaining in the arms were significantly longer in OLETF rats. The number of errors was also significantly higher, and that of the correct choices was significantly lower in OLETF rats compared to the controls (LETO rats). The LTP of the population spike was significantly lower in the OLETF than in the LETO rats. No histological abnormalities were observed. From these observations, we concluded that learning and memory functions were impaired in the OLETF rats.

Animals↗

Expression of kininogen mRNAs and plasma kallikrein mRNA by cultured neurons, astrocytes and meningeal cells in the rat brain.

Expression of kininogen mRNAs has been studied in cultures of three different types of cells in rat brain, including neurons and astrocytes from cerebral cortex and meningeal cells from the leptomeninges/choroid plexus. T-kininogen mRNA was expressed by meningeal cells, but not by neurons and astrocytes, and the expression in meningeal cells was enhanced by culture with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) or dibutyryl cAMP (Bt2cAMP). Low-molecular-weight kininogen mRNA was not detected in these cultures of cells, even after treatment with PGE2. Although expression of high-molecular-weight kininogen mRNA was very low in these cultures of cells, PGE2 or Bt2cAMP markedly stimulated its expression in cultures of meningeal cells and slightly in neurons, but not in astrocytes. We also found that expression of plasma kallikrein mRNA was strong in cultures of meningeal cells and slight in astrocytes, but absent in neurons. These results suggest that cells in the leptomeninges/choroid plexus are major sources of kininogens in rat brain which may function as precursor proteins for kinins and/or potent cysteine proteinase inhibitors during cerebral inflammation.

Animals↗

Evaluation of DEPMPO as a spin trapping agent in biological systems.

Cellular toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and the in vitro and in vivo stability of the SO3*- spin adduct of the spin trap, 5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline-n-oxide (DEPMPO), was investigated, and the results were compared with those of the widely used spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO). Similar to DMPO, DEPMPO was quickly taken up (<15 min) after intraperitoneal injection, and distributed evenly in the liver, heart, and blood of the mice. In the presence of ascorbate the in vitro stability of the adduct DEPMPO/SO3*- was 7 times better than DMPO/SO3*-. Under in vivo conditions, the spin adduct DEPMPO/SO3*- was 2-4 times more stable than DMPO/ SO3*-, depending on the route of administration of the adducts. Using a low frequency EPR spectrometer, we were able to observe the spin trapped SO3*- radical both with DMPO and DEPMPO directly in the intact mouse. DEPMPO had a detectable spin adduct signal at a concentration as low as 1 mM, as compared to 5 mM for DMPO. We conclude that DEPMPO is potentially a good candidate for trapping radicals in functioning biological systems, and represents an improvement over the commonly used trap DMPO.

Animals↗

High-performance liquid chromatography study of the pharmacokinetics of various spin traps for application to in vivo spin trapping.

In vivo spin trapping is potentially a very useful tool to investigate the role of free radicals in physiologic processes and disease development. Unfortunately, knowledge on the stability and distribution of spin traps in living systems is limited. Therefore, in our study, we selected 11 acyclic and cyclic nitrone spin traps with diverse properties to determine their pharmacokinetics in mice. At varying times after intraperitoneal administration, we measured the concentration of the spin traps in the liver, heart, and blood. Our results showed that most spin traps were rapidly absorbed and were approximately evenly distributed throughout the mouse body. It was also found that most of the traps were relatively stable in vivo with more than half of the injected amount still available for spin trapping free radicals after an hour. Two of the 11 tested spin traps, however, decomposed after injection. These results indicate that for a successful in vivo spin trapping experiment, the stability of the spin trap is not of major concern, but the time course of distribution may be important.

Animals↗

Enhanced hydrogen production by a mutant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides having an altered light-harvesting system.

A stable mutant of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides with an altered light-harvesting (LH) system (P3 mutant) was obtained by UV irradiation and characterized. The mutant exhibited a 2.7-fold decrease in the core antennal (LH1) content and 1.6-fold increase in peripheral antennal (LH2) content compared to the wild-type strain. The H2 evolution rates in the P3 mutant under 800- and 850-nm light, corresponding to the absorption maxima of LH2, were 1.5 times higher than in the wild-type strain. The wild-type absorption spectrum was restored in the P3 mutant when a 1.1-kb PCR-amplified fragment containing the puf promoter and pufQBA genes was ligated into a pRK-415 derivative and introduced into it. The transformant showed lower H2 production rates at 800 and 850 nm than the P3 strain carrying the control plasmid, indicating that the accelerated H2 production in the P3 mutant was a result of alterations in the LH system.

Journal Article↗

In vitro and in vivo coupling of Thiocapsa hydrogenase with cyanobacterial and algal electron mediators.

H2 activation by the oxygen-tolerant hydrogenase from the purple sulfur bacterium Thiocapsa roseopersicina, using electron mediators of cyanobacterial and algal origin, has been demonstrated. Ferredoxins, either from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC7942 or the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus, are capable of providing electrons for hydrogenase-mediated H2 evolution. The high-potential cytochrome c6 from Synechococcus PCC7942 proved to be capable of accepting electrons derived from hydrogenase-mediated H2 oxidation. In subsequent experiments, Thiocapsa hydrogenase was introduced into the cells of Synechococcus PCC7942 by electroporation, for enhanced H2 production.

Journal Article↗

Motility-related protein (MRP-1/CD9) and KAI1/CD82 expression inversely correlate with lymph node metastasis in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Although the mechanisms of action of the transmembrane superfamilies, motility-related protein-1 (MRP-1/CD9) and KAI1/CD82, are not well known, they are reported to suppress the metastasis of several kinds of cancers. The suppression of cell motility by MRP-1/CD9 may cause suppression of the metastasis. As we could not find any reports concerning the expression of MRP-1/CD9 and KAI1/CD82 in oesophageal cancers we investigated their expression in oesophageal specimens. We conducted immunohistochemical staining for MRP1/CD9 against 108 cases of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma using anti-MRP-1/CD9 monoclonal antibody M31-15, and for KAI1/CD82 against 104 cases using anti-KAI1/CD82 monoclonal antibody C33. To investigate the gradual expression of MRP-1/CD9 and KAI1/CD82, 24 oesophageal dysplasias were immunohistochemically stained using the same method and then investigated. The expression of both MRP-1/CD9 and KAI1/CD82 were positive on the cell membranes of normal oesophageal epithelial cells, but reduced or negative in the cancer cells. Reduced MRP-1/CD9 expressions significantly correlated to tumour depth (P = 0.0009). We found a significantly greater number of reduced or negative expression of MRP-1/CD9 and KAI1/CD82 in lymph node metastatic cases (P = 0.0003 and P= 0.0129, respectively), but not in distant metastatic cases. The 5-year survival rate of MRP-1/CD9-negative and reduced patients was significantly worse than those of positive patients (n = 108, curative cases, RO). Few cases remained KAI1/CD82-positive (9.6%; 10/104) in oesophageal cancer. Twenty (83.3%) and twenty-two (91.7%) cases out of 24 dysplasias were defined as KAI1/CD82-positive and MRP1/CD9-positive, respectively. The decrease in MRP-1/CD9 and KAI1/CD82 expression may facilitate lymph node metastasis in oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas. Knowing the status of the expression of MRP-1/CD9 appears helpful in predicting the prognosis for each patient.

Adult↗

Prognostic significance of angiogenesis in human pancreatic cancer.

To evaluate whether angiogenic factors are of clinical relevance to actual human pancreatic cancers, we studied the intratumoral microvessel density (IMD), and PD-ECGF, VEGF protein expression in 40 pancreatic cancers using immunohistochemistry. We also investigated PD-ECGF and VEGF gene expression using reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). Of the 40 pancreatic cancers studied, 30 carcinomas (75.0%) were evaluated to be PD-ECGF-positive and 10 carcinomas (25.0%) were determined to be PD-ECGF-negative. In contrast, 27 carcinomas (67.5%) were evaluated to be VEGF-positive, whereas 13 carcinomas (32.5%) were VEGF-negative. VEGF gene expression was moderately associated with an increase in the IMD (r2 = 0.181, P = 0.006), but no significant relationship was found between PD-ECGF gene expression and the IMD (r2 = 0.093, P = 0.059). However, tumours with positive expression for both PD-ECGF and VEGF had a higher IMD (P = 0.027). The results of the immunohistochemistry agreed well with the results of the quantitative RT-PCR. The median survival time of the hypervascular group was significantly shorter than that of the hypovascular group (P < 0.0001). In comparing the survival according to PD-ECGF and VEGF gene expression, the median survival time of the patients with positive PD-ECGF expression was significantly shorter than those with negative PD-ECGF expression (P = 0.040). Furthermore, the median survival time of the patients with positive VEGF expression was significantly shorter than those with negative VEGF expression (P = 0.048). However, the Cox multivariate analysis indicated that the IMD and VEGF expression were independent prognostic factors of the various clinicopathologic variables in pancreatic cancer patients (P = 0.0021 and P = 0.0443, respectively).

Aged↗