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Biomedical subjects

M Noguchi

Publications and source records attributed to M Noguchi.

At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Characterization of peptidylglycine alpha-amidating activities in rat pituitary, brain and small intestine using glycine-extended C-terminal analogues of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide as substrate.

Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating activities from rat pituitary, brain and small intestine were compared, utilizing C-terminal analogues of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), D-Tyr-Leu-Asn-Gly and D-Tyr-Asn-Gly, and C-terminal analogue of alpha-MSH, D-Tyr-Val-Gly. The three tissues had enzymic activities capable of converting the glycine-extended peptides to the corresponding alpha-amidated ones. In other words, all of three peptides could serve as substrates for the enzymes from both neural and gastrointestinal tissues. The activities were stimulated in the presence of copper and ascorbate; the optimal concentration of each cofactor was roughly equal for the three enzymes; similar pH profiles (a neutral pH optimum at 6.5-7 and another one at 8-8.5) were also observed. Desamide VIP-Gly was proved to be a potent inhibitor of the alpha-amidating activities from the tissues, but VIP was not, indicating that the alpha-amidating enzymes from these tissues in common have a recognition site for the C-terminal glycine of the glycine-extended precursor regardless of the length and nature of the sequence. No fundamental differences were observed between the catalytic properties of the alpha-amidating activities from these three tissues, raising the possibility that similar enzymes, which may or may not be a single species, are functioning in tissues that produce alpha-amidated polypeptides in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Treatment of brain tumors with iridium-192 seeds.

Interstitial radiation therapy of brain tumors requires positioning of the radioactive sources with good precision in order to achieve a sufficient dose in the tumor without too much damage to surrounding tissues. A method for application of 192Ir seeds in brain tumors is described and preliminary results in seven patients reported. The method, which uses CT-guided stereotactic localization and computerized dose planning, is at present fairly complicated. The preliminary results are promising and no serious complications have so far been observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Heterogeneity of lung cancer cells with respect to the amplification and rearrangement of myc family oncogenes.

Seventy lung tumors from 53 patients were analysed for alterations of myc family oncogenes, c-myc, N-myc and L-myc, to evaluate when activation of these genes occurs during tumor development. The 53 cases were 17 small cell carcinomas (SCCs), 18 adenocarcinomas, 12 squamous cell carcinomas (SqCs), 4 large cell carcinomas and 2 adenosquamous carcinomas. Either N-myc or L-myc was amplified in 4 of the 17 (one N-myc and 3 L-myc) SCCs (24%), while c-myc was amplified in 3 of the 12 SqCs (25%). In one SCC, amplification of N-myc was found in the primary tumor, a pulmonary hilar lymph node metastasis and a pleural metastasis, but not in a liver metastasis or a para-aortic lymph node metastasis. In one SqC, c-myc was amplified in a pleural metastasis and a lymph node metastasis, but not in the primary tumor. In 2 cases of SCCs, amplification or rearrangement of c-myc was detected only in the cell lines, but not in the original tumors taken from the same individuals. These results indicate that tumor cells were heterogeneous for amplification and rearrangement of myc family oncogenes, and suggest that activation of these oncogenes in SCCs and SqCs occurs not at the time of malignant transformation but during tumor progression.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1988

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombi in the epiploic vein.

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombi in the vein in the major omentum is reported. A 54-year-old man underwent a second operation for recurrent HCC. Intraoperative ultrasonography revealed a tumor thrombus in the vein of the adhering omentum. Part of the antero-inferior area of the liver adjacent to the tumor was resected with the major omentum. Since it is characteristic of HCC often to form tumor thrombi in the veins, it is not surprising that the tumor budded into the epiploic vein. This is apparently the first report of tumor thrombi of HCC in the epiploic vein.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1988

[Metastatic hepatoma presenting as intracranial hemorrhage: report of two cases].

Metastasis of hepatoma to the central nervous system is rare, although hepatoma is a relatively common malignant tumor in Japan. Much rarer is metastatic hepatoma presenting as intracranial hemorrhage and there have been only 4 cases reported in the past. Here, we report two such rare cases with a literature review. Case 1 was a 26 years-old female with a history of 60% hepatic resection in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Later, she developed bilateral lung metastasis. She was admitted with complaints of headache, nausea and vomiting. Neurological findings were clear consciousness, right homonymous hemianopsia and bilateral papilledema. CT showed high-density mass in the left occipital lobe. Evacuation of hematoma and removal of tumor were performed. Pathological diagnosis was hepatocellular carcinoma of clear cell type. Later, two other hemorrhage occurred from different metastatic lesions in the left occipital lobe and the right occipital lobe, and the patient underwent two more surgeries. The patient died of lung metastasis, three months from neurological onset. Case 2 was a 42 years-old male who developed an intracranial tumor adjacent to the right temporal bone without a history of hepatoma. The tumor was removed, which turned out to be hepatocellular carcinoma pathologically. Three months later, on admission, the patient showed sudden neurological deterioration into deep coma. CT showed an irregular high-density mass in the right temporal lobe and evacuation of hematoma coupled with tumor removal was performed. Pathology was of trabecular type. Later, intracranial recurrence and bony metastasis to C5, L3 and the left iliac bone appeared.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Degree of malignancy of thymic epithelial tumors in terms of nuclear DNA content and nuclear area. An analysis of 39 cases.

For determination of the degree of malignancy among thymic epithelial tumors, the DNA content and area of nuclei in 13 cases each of noninvasive thymoma, invasive thymoma, and thymic carcinoma were investigated by cytofluorometry and morphometry. The nuclear DNA content was determined in terms of the mean nuclear DNA content, DNA histogram pattern, and the occurrence of the aneuploid stem cell line. The mean nuclear DNA content of the thymic carcinoma was significantly higher than that of both subgroups of thymoma (P less than 0.01), but there was no significant difference between noninvasive and invasive thymomas. The aneuploid stem cell line appeared in 92.3% of thymic carcinomas, one case (7.7%) of invasive thymomas, and none of noninvasive thymomas. Abnormal DNA histogram patterns were seen in 53.8% of thymic carcinomas and none of the thymomas. The mean nuclear area increased significantly in the increasing order of noninvasive thymoma, invasive thymoma, and thymic carcinoma (P less than 0.01). The cytofluorometric and morphometric results demonstrated a significant difference in degree of malignancy between thymic carcinoma and thymoma; however, there was a trend toward an increasing degree of malignancy from noninvasive to invasive thymomas, yet there was a sizeable overlap in results between the two groups. Therefore, these two methods are not satisfactory for predicting the behavior of an individual case of noninvasive or invasive thymoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Detection of amplified N-myc gene in neuroblastoma by in situ hybridization using the single-step silver enhancement method.

Amplification of the N-myc oncogene in 27 cases of neuroblastoma group tumor was examined by in situ hybridization using the single-step silver enhancement technique. The N-myc gene copy numbers of these neuroblastoma group tumors were previously examined by dot-blot hybridization using DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues (H Tsuda et al., Lab Invest, 59:321, 1988). Silver grains were deposited just over the nuclei of tumor cells, but no or only faint deposition was observed over those of infiltrating lymphocytes, stromal fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. We judged a case to be positive for gene amplification when silver grains precipitated over the nuclei of the tumor cells to a greater extent than over nuclei of lymphocytes or endothelial cells in the same section. According to this criterion, 14 cases (12 cases of neuroblastoma and 2 cases of ganglioneuroblastoma) were positive for N-myc gene amplification of 27 cases (18 cases of neuroblastoma, 5 cases of ganglioneuroblastoma, and 4 cases of composite ganglioneuroblastoma). These results corresponded well to those of the dot-blot hybridization analysis using the same materials. Thirteen of 15 cases that carried 4 copies or more of N-myc gene were judged positive, and 11 of 12 cases that carried less than 4 copies of the N-myc gene were judged negative by in situ hybridization. In neuroblastoma group tumors with amplification of the N-myc gene, tumor cells were stained almost homogenously, except for two cases of ganglioneuroblastoma, in which less differentiated small round tumor cells were stained more intensely than differentiated ganglion-like cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1988

Changes in the concentration of testosterone in serum during the menstrual cycle, as determined by liquid chromatography.

We used a newly developed high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method to determine the concentration of testosterone in serum from women and compared the results with those obtained by conventional radioimmunoassay. We used a conventional silica gel column and organic solvent mixture (ethanol plus n-hexane containing a small amount of water). The detection limit for testosterone was as low as 0.2 micrograms/L, sufficient to correctly determine the concentration of the hormone in serum from women. For the calibration curve, we plotted the peak-height ratio of testosterone to 19-nortestosterone. The menstrual-cycle-related rhythm of the concentration of testosterone in serum was related to follicular and luteal phase-shifting, the concentration being considerably greater in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase. In contrast, RIA showed only minor and irregular fluctuation in the concentrations of the hormone throughout the menstrual cycle. When we used the HPLC to measure the hormonal change in a woman with an irregular menstrual cycle, we found that her testosterone concentration increased abnormally early after menstruation.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Changes in human serum corticosterone and cortisol during pregnancy, labor and delivery].

Serum corticosterone and cortisol concentrations were determined during pregnancy and at delivery in six normal pregnant women. The concentrations of both steroids increased gradually during pregnancy and in late pregnancy they reached values which were 2.5 times those in early pregnancy. The corticosterone concentration increased rapidly immediately after delivery, the values averaging 6.3 times those at the onset of the first labor pain, whereas the cortisol concentration was only about 2.1 times. Although the corticosterone to cortisol concentration ratio was constantly within the normal range throughout pregnancy until delivery, a significant increase in the ratio was observed immediately after delivery (p less than 0.001). It has been known that adrenal secretion of corticosterone in response to exogenous ACTH occurs prior to that of cortisol. Consequently, our results suggest that the dramatic increase in the corticosterone serum concentration after delivery may be due to some physical stress in terms of labor pains, while the steady increase before labor must be due to physiological organic changes characteristic of pregnancy.

Corticosterone↗
PubMed1988

[Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the female patients].

With recent advances in the development of detection methods, the number of STD (Sex transmitted disease) cases detected is greater than ever. Among many STD, Chlamydia trachomatis (= CT), a microbe that has been given a great deal of attention in the urologic field as a cause of nonspecific urethritis and has a characteristic life cycle, has been gradually proved to exist commonly and to become a cause of various obstetrical and gynecological diseases. However, as it is clinically still unknown which symptoms are actually influenced by CT, we studied infection with CT in 706 cases, consists of a group of patients with some symptoms and an asymptomatic group mainly consisting of pregnant women. As a result, the positive rate was found to be 12.3% (87 cases); 10.8% (21 out of 194) in asymptomatic pregnant women, 11.0% (13 out of 118) in patients with cervicitis, and 14.9% (30 out of 202) in patients with adnexitis including PID. As to age, the positive rate was highest, 23.1%, in patients under 20 years old. In fact, 1) CT positive pregnant women are not rare, and 2) CT was detected in high frequency in the young generation under 20 years old; and in these young women, the possibility of transmission of the disease to the infant in the birth canal should be considered in connection with future pregnancy and delivery. Tubal sterility may also result. We concluded that it was necessary to establish a satisfactory examination system.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Intra-arterial cis-platinum in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix].

Three patients with advanced cervical carcinoma were treated with two courses of cis-platinum (CDDP) intra-arterial administration. Histology of all patients revealed squamous cell carcinoma, keratinizing type, and all patients had stage IIIb diseases. CDDP at a dose of 50 mg was infused through each catheter of which tips were fixed in the bilateral internal iliac arteries via the opposite femoral arteries. The course of therapy was repeated at an interval of three to four weeks, so the total dose of CDDP in each patient was 200 mg. The bleeding from lesions, which occurred intermittently before therapy in all patients, was reduced after the primary course of therapy and completely stopped after the second one. Marked reduction of lesion on computed tomograph (CT) was confirmed in all patients. The reduction in the product of perpendicular diameters of measurable lesions on CT ranged from 40 to 50%. Adverse effects such as nephrotoxicity, myelosuppression and gastrointestinal toxicity were mild as compared with patients receiving intravenous administration of CDDP. The excellent clinical effects and tolerance observed in this study indicated that an intra-arterial administration of CDDP has a highly therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗